My Daughter, My World
by Oreana Galena
Summary: Jin the wind master and Aeka continue to live in Makai with their baby, about to take on their new roles as parents.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Notes_**: I wanted to do a one-shot (but it became a **story**) of the family that is created at the end of my story _What Words Cannot Say_ so people may need to read that to understand what is going on though the story was horribly written with scattered mistakes when I neglected to reread through my chapters because of my laziness. The reason I was so dead for the past few days was because I was working on this and it ended up being **66 pages in length**—too lengthy for a one-shot so I chopped it up into chapters. So, in reality, this story is complete but I will post up the chapters as I see fit. Also **please don't correct any information** in the story even if it's an attempt to follow the YYH plot somewhat since it's called a **fan**fic. But, anyways, enjoy.

**_Summery_**: Jin and Aeka continue to live in Makai with their baby, about to take on their new roles as parents. (**JinXOC**) (**NC-17 but will be edited here due to content.**)

**_Disclaimers_**: Yu Yu Hakusho was created by Yoshihiro Togashi and **NOT ME**! However, Aeka Urameshi and any other creations **SHE** spawns (as in giving birth) are copywrite to me and I would love for it to stay that way.

**_Musical Inspiration_**: "This Is What Dreams Are Made Of" – Isabella and Paolo Ballad

"Volare" – Vitamin C

"Bittersweet" – Within Temptation

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Aeka sat outside of the new house that had been constructed within the flora depths of Makai. She felt a bit unsettled knowing that she was sitting in the depths of hell where demons strong and weak were found by the hand full. The deaf human teen knew that she had the demons of at least a high class to protect her but she still couldn't help but fear a bit for her life and the half demon child she was aware that she was carrying soon enough. Aeka had gained a bit of weight from the appetite she obtained thanks to the child growing inside of her belly so Jin was relieved to know he got her at the right time and that his demonic senses didn't fail him. Staying there upon the edge of the outside of the Japanese inspired house that the guys built, she swayed a bit letting the breeze caress her long pale lavender tresses as well as the tree tops that shaded their home.

Suzuka had been looking all over for Aeka and since she was deaf, it made his attempts even harder. Eventually spying her there near the entrance of the house, he smiled at his find before tapping her on his shoulder to get her attention. Once her aqua eyes caught with his green, he kept his smile. "I have been looking all over for you," Suzuka signed and spoke at the same time. He had been learning to sign thanks to Touya who knew more about the language than anybody else and everyone was getting fairly good at it with his help. "I think I finally fixed that hearing gismo." Suzuka showed the circular object that was to fit into her ear and help her hear much better. He had been working on it for months now and each time it failed miserably.

_Sorry for hiding so well_, Aeka signed looking at the gadget in his hand. Sighing a bit and contorting her face in annoyance, she looked at Suzuka with almost a glare. _Again? This is the tenth time you have worked on that thing._

"I know, I know but I promise you it should work this time," Suzuka insisted moving some of her hair away from her ear so he could fit it in just right. Turning the knob that was to control the volume setting which was placed in her earlobe, he licked his lower lip before speaking. "Okay, Aeka—can you hear me?" The reception was a bit fuzzy at first but when Suzuka tweaked the setting a bit more, he asked the same thing again. "Can you hear me now?"

Aeka's once deaf ears were filled with the sounds of not only Suzuka's question but the forest reverberations about her that she hadn't heard since she was born. Looking out at the now sound filled world about her, she looked to Suzuka with the same wonder. _I heard you_, Aeka signed slowly since she was so bewildered by what she could now hear.

"See, I told you it would work!" Suzuka praised but mostly towards his own genius.

Getting as fast as she could to her feet regardless of the slight pain in her back thanks to the baby she was carrying, Aeka took off back into the house to hunt down Jin whom she was sure she would find lounging in their bedroom.

Sure enough, Jin was upon the king sized bed constructed of oak wood. He was lying on his front side reading something he must have picked up in one of the nearby demonic marketing centers. Just like humans, demons had goods to give out and even restaurants to eat at—it was slightly different and made Aeka feel odd but over time, she got a bit used to it.

The wind master could feel somebody's eyes upon him, prompting his sky blue orbs to look up in interest at the doorway once he blinked up at whoever it was staring at him. Seeing it was Aeka, he raised his head slightly off of the right palm he was resting it upon seeing something awkward was set within her gaze. Looking off to the side a moment before setting his eyes back on her, he cocked his brow at her quixotically. "Aeka," Jin began in his heavy Irish accent, "is something the matter?"

Hearing his Irish tone fill her ears for the first time ever almost made her heart melt as she placed her hand over her chest. Since it was her first time hearing words instead of signing them, she signed to him in return since she couldn't make the word sounds like he could. _I—I heard you_, Aeka motioned.

Jin looked at her confused since he was unaware Suzuka was still working on that stupid gadget he cursed many a times since the demon could never get it working right and he felt it dashed Aeka's hopes several times of wanting to hear things she hadn't before. He even begged him to stop working on it since he could see the disappointment in his wife every time it failed. "You heard me?" He reiterated, confusion filling his tone. "What do you mean, you heard me, Aeka?"

_Yes, I heard you_, Aeka resigned before tapping her ear that held the hearing aid Suzuka made for her. _Suzuka finally fixed that piece of crap he could never get working_. She began to sniffle back her tears even though they crept down her pale complexion anyways.

Jin's eyes widen as his brows raised at hearing that—a part of him annoyed that Suzuka would continue working on something he asked him not to yet relieved that for once he didn't listen to him. Hefting up off of the bed, he helped himself over to Aeka to embrace her lovingly to shield her tears from the world since Jin knew how embarrassing it was for her to be caught crying. "I am relived to know you can hear things you never could before," he praised to her almost breathlessly.

Suzuka had made his way to the doorway of their room with Touya and Shishi accompanying him since they were wondering what the commotion was about. "I told you I would fix that thing and I did," Suzuka said once more with the same pride he was showing off earlier.

"And to think, it only took you five months," Shishi remarked to puncture Suzuka's pride and replace it with annoyance.

"You're welcome," Suzuka remarked sourly to his once team partner.

Aeka turned around to look at the other members since she never heard them speak either and she was curious as to what each sounded like. _I guess this will take some getting used to_, Aeka signed looking about the three behind her wondering if another would speak up.

The short ice master looked from the two misfits in the doorway with him before looking over at Jin and Aeka. "So exactly how does that thing work anyways?" Aeka cocked her head to the side to take in Touya's voice, finding it rich and deep in tone. She enjoyed the powerful melody it carried to her now working ears.

Suzuka walked over to pull the test gerbil over towards the others to let them see the hearing aid he placed within her left ear. "She can control the volume level right here and can turn it off by flipping the notch down to zero. Not too complicated, really."

Touya eyed the creation within her ear seeing the circular object fixed within it and the small numbers Suzuka etched upon it. "This doesn't mean we should stop signing to her. This may help her speak a little overtime but signing will be helpful to her just in case the child is born deaf."

Jin's elfin ears wiggled slightly from that comment before tilting his head to the side. "The child could be born deaf?" He sounded more concerned then disappointed.

The ice master looked to his partner before shrugging with a nod. "That all depends." Looking to Jin's mate with his narrow, enticing eyes he asked, "Aeka, were you born deaf?"

Hearing his question, she sucked in her lower lip trying to remember if she ever was deaf as a child or if it happened while she was growing up under her birth parent's care. _I—I am not sure_. Biting the right side of her lower lip, she looked down at the ground trying to recall what happened to cause her hearing to go. _I think it was due to a high fever when I was a baby. I don't remember too well_.

"Then, maybe it won't be so," Touya replied with his arms crossed over his chest. Looking to the other two, he nodded back into the hallway, "Come on, you two can be helpful and at least help me with dinner." Normally it was Aeka that cooked or fixed the dinner but since he could clearly see that Jin and Aeka wanted time alone due to the events that have happened, he offered to do so without asking if it was alright.

Suzuka groaned since he hated to be on dinner duty. Following after Shishi and Touya, his remark could be heard descending the hallway, "I fixed the hearing aid and I get stuck with dinner duty? That's fair."

Hearing that they were now out of the way, Jin walked over to the door they neglected to close, doing so for them with the simple slide of the door. His back remained towards Aeka making the young teen fidget slightly at his sudden quietness. Folding her hands in front of her, she came closer to him before embracing him hesitantly from behind. Jin seemed to tense for a moment before loosing up to look back at her from over his right shoulder. Keeping her hands there upon his pectorals, her aqua oculars eyed him curiously about his behavior wondering if she did something wrong though his pointed ears would say otherwise.

Turning around, he took her hands into his own before holding them close to his lips. "So you can hear me now?" Jin questioned quietly as his pointed ears wiggled slightly at the thought and the sounds the others were making in the eating area. Seeing Aeka's nod, he smiled for a moment, "What do you think of it?"

Another smile making its way across her face, she slipped her hands from his so she could speak with him. _I've waited for what seems like forever to hear it…ever since the day we first met. I think it sounds handsome_, Aeka signed before resting her hand upon his right cheek.

Throwing his head back, Jin's wild shaggy crimson hair began to shake a bit with his body thanks to the laugh that bellowed from within his belly. He was getting better at reading her hand signals thanks to watching and listening to Touya when he confessed he wanted to learn them better so he could speak with Aeka. "Well," Jin began once he regained his composure, "I cannot say I've heard anyone say it sounded handsome, but it's nice that you at least think so."

Aeka took in the sound of his laugh that was ringing within her ear now. Hearing it, she couldn't help but attempt a laugh herself before cocking a brow at him. _Well, I think being surrounded by men all your life, of course nobody would tell you that_, Aeka joked.

Jin shook his head a bit before placing his mighty palms upon her soft, creamy colored cheeks. "Actually," Jin started but paused before making sure it was just the two of them. Finding that everyone was either in the kitchen area or elsewhere, his wide, child like eyes looked to her with a bit of an embarrassed grin. "Touya and I experimented but you didn't hear that from me," he whispered this round before pressing his finger to his lips to hush her as if she threatened to speak.

The young teen blinked several times as she gawked at the man she had just labeled as her husband unable to believe he would do something like that and just now tell her so. _You did it with Touya!_

"When you are alone with only men for one thousand years or so, I lose count, you tend to try things out," Jin confessed with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders. "It only went on for a year until we realized it was a bit—unnerving and not what we wanted."

Aeka cocked her brow at him now before shifting her stance and placing her hands on her hips. She was obviously a bit leery about hearing her male partner had been with a male in the past.

"Whatever you do, don't tell Touya I told you that one," the demon begged before moving his hands down to her shoulders to try and settle her a bit and take her mind off of what he said. "He would freeze me in place and use me as a permanent fixture in his bedroom for spouting that one."

_Are you sure you feel nothing for him now?_ Aeka questioned with her hands before resting them upon his wide hips with a bit of a frown there upon her features.

Jin didn't laugh at the moment though it was a smidge humorous for him. Eyeing her questionably for a moment, he bent down to steal a kiss from her to try and help her relax. Aeka wanted to stay tense and angered at Jin's choice from the past but the kiss he gave her rushed over the human's body causing her to relax and fall into it, surrendering. Pulling back from the kiss, Jin's eyes opened with Aeka's so the two could look at one another for a moment. Blinking softly at her, he released a brief laugh, "Do I have to prove my love for you as I do every night?"

Thinking about it for a moment, she pouted at him to try and make him cave into a 'yes' without her having to sign it. Being that Jin hadn't been with a sexual partner in so long since he was born into the Shinobi, he was eager almost every day. It didn't bother Aeka too much being that she was at that stage of her life where her sexual hormones took over, and being that she was now pregnant with his baby, her hormone level was higher.

Taking that as a yes, Jin grabbed onto her hips and hefted her up upon their bed so she could be comfortable upon the pure white silken covers on their oak crafted bed. Resting his body upon hers, he cupped the back of her head before kissing her deeply as he always did to loosen her up and make her submit as she always did; it was especially easily with her carrying around a child.

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Touya had just finished a good bit of the dinner and was about to knock on their door or let himself in, but once he heard the breathless moaning on the other side, the ice master spun around on his heels eventually figuring coming back another time would be better. _I will just save them some to eat later_, Touya thought to himself before going back to the kitchen to spare some food from the hungry piranhas at the table.

Jin and Aeka stayed within one another's company before Touya finally decided to intrude and bring them their dinner not wanting either or to miss out. Aeka was a bit embarrassed to see the ice master waltz right on into their bedchambers since neither one of them was dressed for his presents, but Touya shrugged at her bright blush across her face. "Do not get so uptight around me, Aeka," Touya insisted before placing the tray down upon their wide nightstand to Aeka's left. "I promise I will not judge your body."

Aeka was confused at his voice's response to her embarrassment since she wasn't worried about his judgment upon her but rather, knowing he would see her without clothing made her blush brightly and her heart quicken in beat.

The ice master noted her confusion but said not a word towards her as he looked beyond Aeka to Jin who he knew wasn't uncomfortable about the situation either. "Rinku went out after training to fish for us and so we had fish tonight."

The young human girl looked over at the fish that she saw was not of the world she was used to. It was much larger than anything she had ever seen and was colored black all over minus its fins having a bit of light blue within them. Aeka had caught a few fish in Makai and some were similar to her from earth but not this kind. _What an awkward fish…_

Jin reached over her to get to some of it since the one caught was big enough for three people to consume. Watching as his nails dug into the side, the demon pulled off a decent size for himself before throwing his head back to engulf the pink flesh. Noting his wife's confusion about the type of fish that was caught, Jin cocked his head to the side. "Don't worry, love. It's just a demonic type fish. It's not dangerous to you or the baby."

Her sea green eyes darted back over to the fish once more knowing if anybody, they would know about the fish species better than her. Grabbing onto a bit herself, Aeka took it into her body finding that it tasted just like salmon. _It tastes like salmon_, Aeka signed to the two since Touya was still standing there.

"Tastes good then?" Touya asked, lifting his thin light blue brow. Seeing her nodding in approval, he glanced at the dish a moment. "There are some potatoes in there as well as some sliced apples since I know how much it aggravates you to eat a whole one. If you need anything else, you know where to find it." With that said Touya took his leave of the two and headed across from their room to his own.

The two ate away at their dinner, the crickets singing their nightly song being their background music for the time being. It always settled her to hear such things while she ate. The nearby brook also caressed her ears as it trickled just beyond their window. Once dinner was completed, Aeka having eaten almost everything, the two began to settle for the night.

Jin reached for the candle that was on his side and on his nightstand so he could blow it out and dim the lit room. "There," he began looking to Aeka, "now we can get some sleep for the night. You and the baby will need it."

Feeling his hand there upon her swollen stomach, she widened her eyes in surprise from the small blow the baby gave her. The kick being felt against her tummy, Jin moved his hand for a moment before resting his elfin ear against the area where his baby was growing. Watching him listen to the child move about inside of her, Aeka couldn't help but smile for a moment at it. Reaching over to him, she ran her fingers through his wild ruby hair.

Leaving a soft kiss there for a moment, Jin pushed himself up and moved back over to the area next to Aeka so he could sleep for the night. Since Aeka's candle was still burning bright for the time being, Jin smiled at her before kissing her upon her cheek. "It will soon be born so I want you to be careful and stay close to the house. I've known female demons that have to give birth outside because they are too far from their homes and their children end up getting eaten or themselves."

Aeka inhaled sharply at hearing him say that. The last thing she wanted was to get eaten alive or even her little baby.

Seeing the worry in her eyes, Jin managed a sincere smile for her before moving some of her white lavender hair out of her face. "Don't worry about it either way. If you do go into labor outside in the nearby forest, at least one of us will be there to guard you as you do so." Jin was referring to the thick forest that separated them from the market area that they normally traveled to. The forest was quite vast and kept them out of harm's way but harm was also **_in_** the way to traveling to and from the market place.

_I know you all would if I were in trouble_, Aeka signed to Jin with a warm feeling swelling within her heart. _That is why I am grateful I have such great friends to watch over me_. Planting a soft kiss upon his cheek for the one he gave her earlier, she smiled to him brightly. _Goodnight, Jin. I love you_.

"Goodnight, Aeka. I love you too," he whispered once she blew the last candle light out. Embracing her from behind, he looked at where he knew she was resting. "Do you want me to turn the hearing aid off for you?"

Taking his wrist and opening his palm, Aeka wrote the letters 'N-O' on it to let him know she wanted to hear what she had been missing all her life through the night.


	2. Child Birth

Of course the want to come and go started to become restricted over time on Aeka's body due to getting so heavy with the growing demonic halved child. If anything, she walked around the house more so than travel outside or even to the market every once and awhile with the others as she used to. Suzuka made it a habit to stay home when he found Aeka's behavior odd lately as did the others. Being that he still wanted items that would make him stronger in the next fight he was to ever endure, Suzuka worked on them in his bedroom but with the door cracked just in case something were to happen while the others were out.

Aeka knew that Jin and the others had gone to the market or to train on their own grounds. She lay out in the bed even though it was clearly early in the afternoon listening to the birds outside singing to her as she rested with her arms intertwined behind her head. Her back was hurting a good bit and so walking around was starting to be a chore for her though she wondered when she felt anxious.

The pain in her lower back subsiding for the time being, Aeka felt need to get up and wonder or at least get something to drink due to being thirsty. Slipping on her slippers, Aeka began to drag her feet across the hardwood floor as she made her way out into the hallway to drag herself to the eating area where their food was stored.

Suzuka was looking over pieces of paper he doodled and wrote all over in attempts of making new weapons in Makai but halted once he heard the floorboards creaking. Two pieces of paper in each hand while one hung from his mouth, the blond haired demon's piercing gaze looked to the cracked door to watch Aeka slowly pass by. Seeing her stop for a moment, Suzuka cocked his brow in interest but said nothing towards her before realizing she had been standing there for an awfully long time. Placing the sheets of paper down before removing the one from his mouth, Suzuka called to her hoping she still had the hearing aid on, "Aeka, do you need something?"

The door opened further as the weary teen looked into Suzuka's bedroom to see him still there with all his ideas cluttering up his bedcovers. Offering a smile at him, she shook her head a moment. _I am just getting a glass of water or something because I am so thirsty_.

Suzuka continued to eye her for a moment before looking back at his ideas. "Alright then, if you have any problems, I am still right here," he offered before picking up a stray sheet to write further on it.

_You always are_, Aeka thought to herself before helping herself further down the hallway.

Getting to the kitchen, Aeka looked to see in the refrigerator what exactly they had from the market no thanks to Chuu's obsessive want for alcohol to be stocked. Finding orange juice in the far back beyond the beer bottles, she took it before hunting down a glass quickly since her want to hydrate herself was getting worse by the minute. Finding one soon enough in one of the top cabinets, Aeka could feel the pain swelling in her back and vaginal area increasing suddenly making her want to cry out for help. Though she herself couldn't call out for help, the glass in her hand did all the talking once it smashed onto the floor.

Suzuka's head shot up quickly since he was snapped out of his deep thinking thanks to the crystalline smashing into the floor to cause worry to course through his body. Removing the pen from his mouth that he had put there so he could fidget while he thought, the demon removed himself from his bedcovers quickly since Aeka's fear pheromones were annoying his senses. "Aeka," Suzuka's voice called to her in a hurry once he got to the kitchen.

Aeka stood there leaning against the counter with her hand below her belly. Her water had broken and was there upon the floor now. The pain was getting worse by the minute and she couldn't handle it much longer. Biting her lower lip, she attempted to sign regardless of how much it hurt. _It hurts, Suzuka!_

Hurrying to her side, Suzuka grabbed her hands to prevent her from signing any further as he could understand she was in great pain quite possibly. "Don't sign, Aeka. I am going to get you back to bed and then go to search for the others, okay? I cannot help you with this child alone." Aeka didn't wish to be alone but so long as she was lying down and off her feet, she would be one step closer to being grateful no thanks to the pain in her body.

Getting to her bedroom and resting upon her back, Suzuka ordered her to stay put while he left to find the others promising he would return shortly. _Please hurry!_ Aeka could only beg within her mind as she heard Suzuka leave through the front door.

Aeka stayed put for what seemed like hours to her thanks to the agonizing pain the child was giving her. The mother to be couldn't find herself comfortable on her back so eventually she shifted to her side to try and relax there. If anything, Aeka started releasing throating sounds trying to imitate Jin or the others whenever they were hurt or hurting since she wanted to be heard and helped. Her nails raked across the covers harshly as she begged in tears for Suzuka to hurry back with the others.

It would be awhile until Touya's icy cold touch caressed Aeka's tear stained cheeks to help her see that they were there to help. "Aeka, you have to be quiet," Touya insisted once he got by her side while Suzuka and Shishi got Aeka on her back once more. "You are catching the attention of nearby demons with your cries and screams." Apparently Aeka was making enough noise to catch lower class demon's attention and it worried the ones that made it back in time.

Looking about the ones that were now in the room Aeka's sea green orbs frantically searched the area to find no Jin. Touya's hands coming towards her flushed cheeks to help her cool off with his cool touch thanks to having the powers of an experienced ice Shinobi, Aeka tried to make him stop so she could ask him quickly where Jin was. _I don't see Jin_, Aeka signed hastily causing Touya's hands to stop midway. _Where is Jin…!_

"Shhh, Aeka," Touya begged quietly before resting his hands back upon her face so he could keep her cooled down. "Jin is outside protecting the house with his wind barrier. He had to thanks to the oncoming demons of lower class trying to get into the house to you. He will come inside when he feels it is safe to do so."

"But right now, you have to get the child out," Suzuka interrupted trying to get Aeka to open her legs for him she feeling too embarrassed to do so. Realizing she wasn't going to part her legs for him thanks to Suzuka being who he was, he growled a bit at her persistence to keep her legs locked. "Aeka, you have to stop it and let me help you! Trust me when I say I am not going to do anything but help you deliver this child!"

Touya couldn't free his hands at the time as he left them on her face to keep her warm. Looking over at Shishi who was in the room still, the ice master nodded at Aeka's tightly pressed legs. "Spread them apart and keep them that way."

Shishi was a bit hesitant to do so until the two shouted his name in unison not wanting this child to die. Even if it was half demon, it was still half human and either way, it would be hard to figure out which gene was dominated till the child was born. Getting to the bedside, Shishi sat upon it comfortably before keeping her legs apart so Suzuka could get the child out already.

Jin stayed upon the top, center of the roof of the building keeping his mind focused on his wind barrier with a stern look upon his face—a rare expression to witness. His wild red hair blew about the wind that he kept up to keep out the lower class demons that were trying to converge upon the spot. Like a feral wolf pack leader, he had become protective of his territory and was now keeping intruders out with his power and unsympathetic expression. Jin didn't let his barrier down until the sound of a baby crying started ringing in his ears, snapping him from his concentration. The wall of wind that was around the premises vanished slowly once the wind master made his way to the end of the building's roof top and hopped to the ground since most of his power was used up and he couldn't bother to fly at the moment.

Hefting himself up with a grunt, Jin turned towards the entrance of the house to see Shishi heading towards him. "Well," Jin asked a bit out of breath, "how did it go?"

Shishi had to escort Jin to the bedroom where the others stayed outside minus Suzuka and Touya who remained within the closed off area until everything was cleaned up. "She's in there waiting for you," Shishi remarked, waving for him to enter without him since he had seen and heard enough.

Opening the door quickly, Jin let himself in before shutting it behind him so the others couldn't get in due to him being protective at the moment. Seeing that Touya was still trying to keep her cooled down with his ice powers, Jin moved to the other side of the bed that wasn't blocked by the helping demons to crawl in bed to look at his child. "How is she?" Jin asked almost breathlessly looking to Touya.

The enchanting eyes of the ice ninja looked over at his friend with a relaxed smile, "Which 'she'?"

Jin's once normal looking ears turned back into a point before cocking his head to the side. "I have a baby girl?" He asked before searching for the infant and finding her there hidden under the covers part way near her mother.

Suzuka looked up from where he was busy cleaning up Aeka and the sheets she bled all over when her body managed to get the young mix out of her. Watching Jin inch closer to the covered up whimpering child, he felt the need to warn him, "I'd be careful—she has two premature wings…and of different race." Suzuka saw he had Jin's attention when the demon looked to him so he continued while drying off his hands, "Like butterfly wings they may break off if you're not careful."

Turning his attention back at Aeka, he saw that she was out like a light, exhausted from never having endured labor before and it really taking its toll on her. Looking to his little girl, he nuzzled into her cheek with his nose before picking her up gently within his arms. "I will be gentle," he promised only to himself and his new born daughter. "I taught myself to be around Aeka." Rocking his daughter within his arms, he did indeed see that her wings were of a demon and an angel making him flinch mentally since he knew her learning to fly would be a desire being the daughter of a wind master, but difficult if her ability relied on two different sets of wings instead of gathering the wind about her as he did.

Getting up and walking over towards the window a moment to feel like it was just the two of them for the time being, Jin's expression turned gentle as he kept it upon his yawning daughter. He could see that her hair was a light cherry color, hinting that obviously the two genetics of the parents fought over which color the child would take and siding with a blend. Her eyes were not opened as the daughter of the Shinobi wind master was content to sleep now within the warmth of her father's body and the sound of his beating heart being a lullaby to her.

Touya released Aeka's face finding her temperature back down to normal for a human's. His narrow eyes looked to Jin's back smiling for those to see around him grateful that Jin finally got what he wanted and more. Removing himself from the young teen's side, the ice master walked over towards his partner's side to place a hand on his shoulder to let him know he was there when Aeka wasn't to bask in his new love. "You got what you wanted," Touya whispered in Jin's pointed ears. Eyeing the content sleeping child for a moment, he turned his concentration back to Jin before rubbing his back. "Are you satisfied now?"

Jin couldn't speak at the moment as he kept his interest set upon the newborn mix demon. Cupping the back of her head he brought his daughter's cheek up to his so he could be assured she was real. "Yes," Jin said just as quietly to Touya. "I couldn't be happier. She is my daughter and I love her more than anything…"

Aeka awoke late within the next morning to see her daughter and husband there beside her looking at one another with interest. Managing a soft smile regardless of how weak she was and her hunger fueling her exhaustion, Aeka stirred from where she was causing Jin to look in her direction. Returning her smile, he came closer to her with their daughter. "Hi, Aeka—did you sleep well? You've been out for awhile."

Clearing her sinuses she laughed briefly within her throat before signing to him, _I guess I am new to child birth_. _You try pushing something such as that out of your body_.

"We got a baby girl out of it," Jin remarked softly showing her to his partner.

Aeka eyed the baby girl once the cloth that kept her warm and still was moved from her face. Reaching for her, she took the half demon into her arms so the poor thing could feed from her mother. The child eventually found the nipple of her mother with her mother and her father's help prompting her to latch on quickly and start to drink her nourishment. Aeka watched in interest feeling something different with her daughter than she did whenever Jin did such a thing. Noticing her little balled up hands, Aeka touched them gently with her index finger before noticing Jin watching the two closely. Placing her free hand on her husband's shoulder for a second, she signed to him, _What should we name her?_

Jin's ears wiggled slightly at the sight of that before humming in thought. "Do you have a name for her or one in mind?"

Aeka knew it was probably Jin's want to name a child of his own for Touya reminded Aeka several times about his friend's dreams and wants of the baby that was to be born from his own blood. She had no real name in mind for her daughter that she felt would suit her so she looked to her husband before shaking her head mouthing the word, 'no'.

His deep blue eyes looked back at his little girl trying to think of a good name for her. Watching her continue to drink from her mother, Jin bit his lower lip in thought on the matter. "How about—Akina?"

_Akina?_ Aeka asked with her hand.

"Yes," Jin assured Aeka watching as the young child was soon burped since she finished. "It reminds me of your name so an appropriate name for our daughter."

Aeka nuzzled in close to Jin with a warm smile letting their daughter get settled once more before looking up at the two with her big blue eyes Jin obviously gave her. Spying their daughter looking at them, she smiled brightly at the eyes Jin's genetics blessed her with. _Oh, look Jin!_ Aeka signed quickly. _She has your eyes._

Jin caught the big innocent eyes before his daughter closed them once more finding that having a child was quite the miracle. "Well, I'll be damned, she does. It looks to me she is quite weary right now."

Aeka nodded in agreement and was about to rock her to sleep but halted when she saw Jin getting out his wooden flute that she had wanted to hear him play ever since she was given the instrument as a gift. _Your flute_, Aeka signed to him with a smile.

"That's right," Jin begun with his same goofy grin, "you never heard me play this ever since you got that hearing aid in, have you?"

Aeka shook her head wanting so badly to hear him play it as she held her daughter securely.

"Alright then, princess, I will play it for you both," he answered, pressing the flute to his mouth and situating his fingers upon it just right. Closing his eyes a moment he remembered the tune his mother used to play for him and started to get the notes to surface. It was an eerie yet beautiful tune that called out a melody of longing and eternal love from the depths of Ireland where Jin originated from. The sound of the flute playing each haunting love note touched Aeka's heart so much that she threatened to cry with how it gripped upon her heart. The melody seemed to calm Akina as Jin continued playing it. Aeka watched as her daughter fell into a deeper sleep with the sound filling her ears, she obviously born with the gift of hearing unlike her mother. Shifting her sight back upon her husband, she watched as his fingers danced upon the wooden instrument to help the right musical note come out for both to hear until Jin came upon the final note and held onto it for awhile before letting it die down into nothing.

Seeing Aeka's eyes watching him once he opened them from concentration, he smiled to her once he removed the flute. _It was very beautiful_, Aeka signed. _I never thought a simple flute could capture such beauty until now_.

"Thank you," Jin replied to her comment putting the flute down. "My mother had lyrics that went with it as well but it's hard for me to recall them since I was never much of a singer but I wanted to remember the melody someway or another so I learned to play that flute."

Aeka pouted a bit hearing that. _What a shame…I would have liked to have known what the lyrics were_, she signed to him.

Sucking in his lower lip, Jin looked upward at the ceiling above them trying to remember the song his mother used to sing at times. Humming the tune mostly to himself, he hoped it would help conjure up the lyrics he was having difficulty recalling. After awhile of humming the same tune she heard upon the flute, Jin began speaking again, "…The sweetest thought, I had it all, Cause I did let you go, All our moments, Keep me warm, When you're gone. All my thoughts are with you forever, until the day we'll be back together, I will be waiting for you…" Closing his eyes a moment, Jin took in a deep breath before releasing it through his nostrils. His sight settling down upon Aeka once more, he smiled at her for a moment. "That is all I remember or can seem to."

_That sounded so magnificent, Jin_, Aeka said with her nimble hands. _I don't see why you said you were a bad singer when you are not_.

Jin couldn't help but laugh at her remark before shaking his head from side to side letting his wavy hair shift from the movements. "That is probably because I mostly sing to myself and not in front of people so I judge myself. But that is not important right now. Why don't you and Akina rest for the day? I am sure you both could use it."

_What about you?_ Aeka asked. _Where are you going?_

Lying down next to her with his elbow digging into the white pillow that belonged to him, he rested his cheek upon the palm of his hand while he laughed briefly at her. "I am not going anywhere, love. I am staying right here to watch you both."

_All day?_ Aeka questioned with her thin white brow cocked.

"For as long as you will be asleep," Jin assured. Watching her get comfortable once she placed the child in between them, the wind master remained as he was upon his side to keep an eye on the two not wishing to be anywhere else at the moment but right there at their sides.


	3. Mother and Child

Jin's bare feet hurried across the ground just outside of the house before his wind powers kicked in and he hefted himself off of the ground to take flight. Getting only a few feet in the air, he was stopped with the sound of someone else following him and their cries reaching him, "Daddy!" Hovering still within the air, Jin's cobalt eyes locked with his daughter's who was now four years old. Her light cherry hair turned a bit darker and rested close to her chin in length. Akina's ears were elfin but were not incredibly long nor did they grow out whenever she was excited or happy like her father's did. They stayed pointed and Jin assured Aeka that it was normal since his father had the same type of ears. Though she was growing like a weed in Jin's eyes, the only thing that didn't seem to grow or want to were her wings and it was starting to worry him as well as the others.

"Akina, what are you doing? Get back inside with your mother please." Jin didn't like it when Akina was outside alone or chasing after him when he took flight to try and get things from the market for the others. There were times in her third year of life that she wondered away from the house and demons nearly tore her apart in the forest surrounding the house causing Jin to get worried, and when she continued to do so, he got extremely furious with her and scolded her.

"But, where are you going?" Akina pried from where she stood, peering up at her father from where he continued to stay up in the air. "I don't want you to leave…"

It was emotional blackmail at its finest when she whimpered like that and gave him that look. Though she tried to use it when being punished, Jin never let it get to him there since he didn't want his only daughter to die or get severely hurt. Lowering himself back down to the ground with his arms crossed about his chest, he eyed his daughter worryingly. "I am just going to the market, love," Jin answered before kneeling before her so he could be with her eye level. "I will be coming back. Why does it upset you? Is there something you want me to do before I go?"

Akina shook her head from side to side, not looking her father in the face for some reason. Jin reached over and stroked his daughter's cheek trying to make her relax and not be so displeased over his brief departure for the day. Akina was so used to the others going to the market for her father that this was the third time he was actually going to leave again this year. The wind master had spent most of his time within the house and around his daughter and wife that he didn't bother parting from one or the other to be in solitude or to help aid the family until he felt Akina was old enough to understand he would return whenever he left. But it was still hard to watch him leave and Akina at times would try to sneak out after him but would either be caught by Touya or her father who was aware of everything about him.

Picking up Akina when she refused to lighten up or even speak with him, he blew a kiss on her cheek to make her at least laugh. Not expecting that, Akina closed her eyes from the laughter that overtook her body from her father's surprise. "Daddy, don't!" She managed to get out through the laughter as she wiggled and squirmed about in his arms to try and escape.

Releasing her once he was through torturing her gently, Jin got back to his feet to look down at his only offspring. "I promise I will come back, Akina. Why don't you go keep your mother company till I return?" Trying to leave once more, Jin stopped himself from taking flight since he could feel Akina hugging his leg now. "Akina, da has to go now," Jin replied softly to her but sternly trying to make her let go. Even though everyone in the house spoke with a different accent just about, Akina knew most of the heavy Irish words her father used but continued to call him 'daddy' instead of 'da'. There were times he spoke too quickly and it confused her as well as Aeka who was still trying to get used to him speaking so Jin tried to settle his tone down until they got used to it.

Sighing in defeat, Akina released her father so he could go about his way. "Okay, daddy…just come home…"

"Awe, you know I will, princess," Jin assured before kissing her on the head.

Standing back so the wind wouldn't get in her face, Akina watched as her playful father took to the skies once more to go elsewhere. Watching him fly off into the distance the little girl couldn't help but smile this time around since it had always been her wish to fly off with her father someday. Looking over her shoulders at her different premature wings, Akina wiggled them slightly trying to get used to the appendage that her mother didn't have. Seeing that they were moving when she wanted them to, Akina tried to flap them though they were only so big. Clutching her fists and concentrating all she could on her wings the little Shinobi of wind to be tried to lift herself off of the ground only to hover for a second before falling back down. "Ooh, stupid wings!"

"Akina," Chuu called from the doorway of the house with Rinku hanging on his shoulder like a parrot. "What are you doing out here? Come back inside."

Akina looked back up at the sky where her father fled to making her wish she could go up there someday. But since her wings were not big enough to do so, all she could do was dream about doing so as she walked back inside as Chuu suggested she do so. "When will daddy come back?" Akina asked once she reentered the house.

"He'll come back soon," Rinku assured from his perch on Chuu's shoulder before zipping down near Akina. "You know your father wouldn't leave you stranded here."

Akina was told every waking day how much she was loved by her father and it settled her till the times she was left alone without him. Crossing her arms a bit, she looked back to Rinku who was beside her at the moment. "Where is Touya?"

"I think he's out back training," Chuu answered for his partner before excusing himself so he could get something to drink and relax with.

"Thank you," Akina said quickly before hurrying out back to look for Touya the ice master who she saw more so than anyone else in the household.

Scurrying out back behind the house regardless of what the others had to say about her going out alone, she eventually made her way to the corner of the back of the building and peeked beyond it to see Touya indeed standing there with the temperature slightly raised for his liking and to help aid his ice powers. Touya watched over Akina when her parents were unable or the two wanted to be alone for a short time of intimacy. He often kept her entertained with anything he could and let her stay in his bedroom to sleep with him if she wanted especially if her parents were sharing a night of passion. Akina found him to be quite sweet and lighthearted and to her, he was like another father. She had never seen him use his powers to fight due to Jin not wanted Akina to see such things at the age she was though she knew what each person was capable of.

Her breath there on the wind thanks to the drop in temperature, Akina couldn't help but smile brightly though his back was facing towards her. _Wonder what he is doing_.

Touya kept his back to where Akina was hiding but that didn't stop him from waving behind his back at her as if he heard her thoughts, "Stop trying to hide, Akina." The cold barrier about Touya's territory disappeared swiftly as the ice master turned around to see the little girl trying to hide back behind the house though she knew she was caught. "Don't make me come back there to haul you out here, little missy."

Akina couldn't help but giggle before showing herself to him finally and hurrying over to his side. Looking up at the demon that towered over her slightly, she looked into his narrow alluring eyes the color of the ice he controlled. Ever since she was born, she found them so beautiful and could stare at them for hours. Whenever Akina spoke with him, she never left his demonic eyes. "Hi, Touya," she replied with a smile. "Daddy left so I came looking for you."

Touya felt it was his job to baby-sit Akina when he could due to this child being the one thing Jin really wanted and Aeka as well, but being that he was closest with his partner in crime, Jin, he felt he owned it mostly to him. It was an obligation to him at first until it became a bit of a joy watching a child grow up that came from his own best friend's bloodline. "Where did your daddy go?" Touya asked rotating his arm just a bit to relieve it of a bit of pain it was emitted through his body.

"To the market I think," Akina answered coming closer to him. Embracing his left leg, she nuzzled into the fabric a bit since Touya was her substitute father. "What were you doing?"

"I was training so my ice powers won't get too rusted," he answered before running his fingers through her short stringy hair. "And what exactly are you doing out here by yourself? Why didn't one of the others escort you to my side?"

Akina groaned to show her distaste at having to be monitored every time she was outside the house as well as inside. "Touya, I am fine walking outside on my own!" She growled, showing off her little fangs that the demonic gene obviously blessed her with. Touya caught her temper tantrum threatening to come out and eyed her scoldingly to make her stop. "Sorry," Akina apologized softly since she knew the lecture was coming.

"You know why we have to keep a close eye on you, Akina," Touya disciplined verbally this time before kneeling before her so she would know he meant business. Due to the fascination she held for his enchanting eyes, he knew he wouldn't have to worry about her avoiding his gaze but Touya wanted to make sure she wouldn't storm off. "You are still so young and your demonic powers are trying to develop. There are plenty of demons out there that would be eager to eat you whole even if you are the daughter of a Shinobi and you know that would destroy us if that happened." Placing his icy hands upon her cheeks Touya smiled to her as his fingers massaged her cheeks. "Your father loves you more than anything on this earth as does your mother…if they were to lose you, their world would end."

"But I can't fly like daddy," Akina said with a hint of a whine. "What will I be able to do when I get older? When will my powers come to me? What are my powers going to be?"

Touya laughed at her with the smile he gave to her before scratching Akina in the center of her dark pink hair. "Calm down, Akina. I am afraid I don't know what your powers will be or when they will come to you, but I can assure you they will be wind related. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up," Touya whispered. "You have hundreds of years to live through being half demon. Let's not rush those years you are just getting used to all of that around you. Trust me they go by faster than you think."

"Hundreds?" Akina questioned since she wasn't too sure how much that was. "How old is daddy and mommy?"

"Your father is over a thousand years old, Akina. He's been a Shinobi ever since he was five years old and has trained for 1,450 years," Touya answered pressing his hand to her back to help her back inside. "Your mother is twenty-two years old."

"Mommy is that young?" Akina wondered once she was back inside of the house, waving slightly to Suzuka who was within the kitchen conversing with Shishi about something she was not sure of. Suzuka stopped talking once he heard the two enter and waved to Akina in return with a warm smile before turning his focus back on Shishi.

"Young?" Touya asked with a laugh as he walked to his bedroom with Akina right there behind him. "Akina, twenty-two is an adult age for humans."

"What about for demons?" Akina asked following after him into his bedroom to sit on the carpet in front of his TV.

"That all depends on the demon." Touya saw she was content to sit there upon the floor but he picked her up to place her on the bed so she wouldn't get dirty. "Rinku is two hundred years of age and still has the exterior of a child but I am sure you will age in appearance as your mother did growing up but will outlive her like—." Stopping himself from continuing that out loud for the young Akina to hear the ice master wanted to kick himself in the head for being such a blabber mouth. It was a sad fact but Aeka would get old die before Jin and Akina and the only thing left for Jin would be his daughter unless he had other children. It frightened him a bit since Jin really loved his wife and if she died of old age, he would follow after her in despair like a dove that loses his mate.

"Outlive her?" Akina wondered aloud as she kept her dark blue eyes upon Touya.

"It—forget I said that, Akina and don't tell your father anything of it," he begged to her once he slipped upon the bed with her. Touya knew the slight mention of Aeka growing old and then dying alone hurt him more than anything though he would yell at whoever brought it up that he would be by her side till Botan came to take her.

Like all little children, Akina couldn't understand what was so bad about the term and asked, "Why?"

"Akina," Touya began seriously before grabbing onto her hands gently, "saying something like that to your father will upset him greatly so please don't repeat it. Promise me you won't speak of it to him because he will get cross with me."

"I promise," Akina finally agreed before searching for the remote so she could turn the TV on.

Aeka knocked on the back of Touya's door before letting herself in. Seeing the ice master there with her daughter, she smiled at him before closing the door behind her. _Hi, Touya_, Aeka signed before walking over to grab the basket he used to throw his dirty clothes in. _I see you are taking care of Akina for me._

The ice Shinobi chuckled so only those in the room could hear, "She followed Jin outside and so I dragged her back inside."

_I am doing the laundry right now, Touya, is there anything else you need me to wash?_ Aeka asked picking up the light basket. If she wasn't cooking for the guys, she was washing their things or cleaning up after them. At times it annoyed Aeka and they didn't know how much until she hit those monthly cycles and her temper really shot up at times.

"No, I think that is all," Touya answered from where he sat upon his bed. "Do you want me to go out there with you since Jin is not around?" Thanks to Aeka being a human, she was just as vulnerable to demon attacks as Akina was and like her daughter, she had to be accompanied by the demons to and from places.

_That would be nice_, Aeka signed before looking to her daughter whom she felt the eyes of. _Hi, Akina_.

"Hi mommy," Akina said as well as attempted to sign since she was learning from Touya. When she got caught on the 'mommy' part, Touya corrected her once she looked his way for the answer. "Can I come too?"

Aeka cocked her brow at her daughter a bit confused. _You want to come with us? _She asked with her hands once she put the basket down for a second.

Touya was just as baffled as to why Akina would want to since she normally played around with Chuu or Rinku if her parents and Touya were busy. Suzuka didn't mind Akina but due to working on his weapons and such all day long, he would normally shoo her out of his room since a four year old would only enjoy misplacing his papers he had written all over and ask a million questions. As for Shishi, he didn't take to kids too well and avoided Akina at all costs or pretended he never really saw her there close to him. It hurt Akina when he avoided her but there was nothing anybody could say to him about the situation. "Well," Akina finally said getting off of the bed, "can I?"

Aeka looked at Touya wondering if he wouldn't mind watching over the both of them. In order to wash the clothes, she would have to go to the stream that was thirty minutes away since they didn't have a washing machine of any kind though she did acquire the supplies she would need to wash them properly. Touya caught Aeka's sea green eyes upon him, making him sigh out his rejection on the matter, "Alright, it will be okay with me."

Akina hopped off the bed and hurried over to her mother before being asked by Touya to turn back around and turn his TV off. The ice master reached out his hand for Akina to take so she wouldn't wonder off on her own, the young child took it and stayed close to the ice master as did Aeka once they were outside and heading into the forest.

Touya stayed upon a bolder not too far from the stream and shaded by the nearby foliage. Akina watched her mother take care of the laundry she had picked up from the others and had just finished Shishiwakamaru's attire before bothering with what Jin had. Normally he wore his Shinobi apparel but there were times it was too much of a hassle for him to put on so he bought a few things that were just to throw on or sleep in though he normally slept all natural close to Aeka. Beyond his Shinobi clothing, he had an orange hoodie and jeans to go with it. If he wasn't caught wearing his Shinobi jeweled garment, he was wearing that or his workout attire so of course there was never much to wash when it came to him—Suzuka had to be the worse if anyone in the group.

Akina watched with interest at how her mother washed them within the clear river before folding them back up so she could hang them out to dry close to the house. Grabbing onto her mother's sleeve, she yanked it a few times to get her attention, "You sure do a lot around here, mommy. Why do you have to wash their stuff?"

Aeka smiled to her daughter for a moment before continuing to wash out Jin's orange top. _I do it because they don't know how and more to the point will not. Your father may clean himself but he doesn't clean his clothes and that is something I need to do to keep him healthy._ Feeling the summer heat getting to her a moment in the task she was doing, Aeka rubbed her forehead with the back of her arm once she finished signing her response.

"It keeps him healthy?" Akina asked confused as any little child about the concept of being clean.

_Yes, princess_, Aeka answered before moving to Jin's jeans once she folded up his top for the time being. _And I am sure your father wants clean clothing so that is why I do it and for the others—because I care about them_.

"But—I care about daddy and them too. What can I do to make them happy?" Akina asked before grabbing onto her father's dirty training clothing.

Aeka laughed softly at the hearing aid picking up her daughter's words, _You make your father happy…more than anyone in the world. Touya loves you and you make him happy as well just by being here. Chuu and the others enjoy your company though you may want to watch out for Shishi sweetie. I think someone such as him doesn't do well around children_.

Akina crossed her legs before dipping her hand into the clear lake water daringly until her mother pulled it out. "Did I make him mad?"

_No_, Aeka signed going after the clothing that Akina kept in her hands. _Shishi doesn't care for me much either, Akina, so I have to watch myself whenever I approach him. I think he's just anal. Don't worry about trying to get his attention_. _Apparently he only cares to speak with Suzuka_.

Sucking in her lower lip, Akina looked over at Touya who was still sitting there on the rock looking off to the left in awareness and not seeing the innocent eyes of Akina set upon him. "I won't," she almost said to herself.

Aeka noticed her daughter looking off into the distance behind her. Looking in the same direction, she noted that Akina was eyeing Touya as if she wanted him to come closer and join them. She thought nothing of it—she knew inside that Akina really loved Touya as another father and she thanked the ice master constantly for helping with Akina when the others were too busy or too wound up in partying when she had her hands full.

Turning back to her mother, their eyes met with one another. "Will I get to take care of daddy and the others when I am older?" Akina asked.

Narrow eyes widening in surprise at that question, Aeka creased her brow in admiration for her daughter's want to take her place at such a young age. Knowing that her time with them would be limited unlike her daughter's, she smiled to her before working on the rest of the clothing. _Of course you will, Akina…_, Aeka hesitantly signed. _You will get to take care of your father and his friends when I will become unable to_.

Akina could sense something wrong with the response her mother gave her wondering what she said wrong. Figuring it would be best to ask another question now she sat close to her mother and hummed in thought of what else to ask. "Why are there no humans here besides you, mommy?"

Aeka sighed internally at all of these questions being thrown her way but answered it regardless, _I came from Human World and this is Demon World_. _No human is allowed here and if one by chance makes it here, they would die in a matter of seconds without the aid of powerful demons_. Aeka seemed to pause in her signing and stopped to think to herself a moment with a hurtful expression, _Or my brother's help…_

It still hurt Aeka that she was unable to at least wake in time to say goodbye to her brother, Yuske. When she managed to wake, she was already in Makai in Jin's arms in the Makai forest area. She was relieved to open her eyes and see his innocent demonic eyes gazing down at her but a part of her was broken hearted that she didn't get to see her brother one more time before departing. Aeka kept it to herself but she felt Jin knew regardless.

"Then how did you and daddy meet?" The young child continued relentlessly.

A soft smile finally made its way across her once hurt filled face this round as she thought about when she first met Jin. _Well_, Aeka began, halting laundry for a moment, _I was rescued by your father when I was only five years old_. _I wasn't aware of it at the time until late one night I was coming home and I bumped into him staring up at my apartment building looking for me twelve years later when I was 17_. Aeka laughed to herself having to remember that night she bumped into Jin without watching where she was going and nearly tore his head off with her hands since she was not in the mood for the encounter. She remembered him standing there with his cap over his head to hide his demonic features from anyone other than a human that may recognize him and the sleeveless white shirt with jeans. _Your father wanted to get to know me better and so he tried to even though I was a mean thing to him at times_. _When people found out that demons were in Human World, things got rocky and your father and Touya had to go back to Demon World…without me_._ I was so heartbroken without him there beside me that I nearly died without him, but your father did come back to me as he promised me he would and I got to be with him during the Dark Tournament_.

Akina continued to listen contently as she watched and deciphered her mother's hand signals most of which she knew but some she could only cock a brow at.

_My brother and your uncle was the main fighter in the tournament and it brought Jin's Shinobi sect to the fighting ring even if his leader didn't like the thought of Jin with me…_Aeka paused again having to think about Risho and how he nearly killed her. _And having to watch your father and uncle fight for one another's life and for something they wanted was the hardest thing to watch…_

"Daddy and Uncle Yuske fought?" Akina asked rocking a bit where she sat Indian style. Yuske was mentioned to Akina many a times since Jin thought highly of him as a fighter and friend and it was Aeka's baby brother.

_Yes, he did_, Aeka signed before looking back at what she had left to wash noticing out of the corner of her eye that Touya was watching and listening in. _Your father lost the fight and lost his respect among other demons but he's still a feared man_. _Though your father lost, he still took me here to Makai and I love him no matter what_. Looking off into the distance a moment, she lidded her eyes in thoughts of adoration and devotion of her demonic mate. _Here in Makai he has kept me with the others and he watches over me even when I am unwell or feel horribly homesick. Here is where I found out I was pregnant with you and your father proposed to me_.

"Proposed?" Akina questioned once more.

Aeka nodded but mostly to herself as she stayed in her daydreaming phase remembering back when Jin finally did so before Akina was born though they did indeed find out she was pregnant. Jin had led Aeka out into another part of the Makai forest where they could be alone and have some fun together. There was a waterfall crashing down tranquilly and Jin was using his wind powers to hover and do flips and tricks above the slightly waving water just to show off. Aeka watched from the sidelines contently as Jin tried to dance around like a clown but the way he was doing so almost seemed elegant when his feet barely touched the water and he seemingly just gliding across it. When he did back flips her way, he shot upward into the sky when he was almost close to where she was watching from the sidelines to disappear into the night sky for a moment.

Sea green eyes staring up into the night sky a moment or so, she waited for Jin to come back down but it appeared he wasn't after awhile and it started to worry Aeka and make her a ping mad. _Where did he go?_ Aeka recalled thinking to herself with her face mostly conveying worry.

Jin popped up behind her once he had managed to get back down to the ground but didn't tap her on the shoulder to give her a heads up. Instead, the Irish wind master offered her a rare Makai flower that had white in the crater of the pedals before spreading out to dark blue and then a much lighter hue at the very tip in a triangle form.

A bit startled from the surprise and him appearing behind her now, Aeka jumped slightly but managed an excited smile upon seeing the flower he had retrieved for her. Taking it quickly, she remembered the smell of the blossom that filled her nose before turning around to see Jin still there with a relaxed grin upon his face. The look in his eyes was so enchanting and yet they held certain anxiousness within them. Reaching her hand up, she caressed his soft cheek lovingly before kissing him on the lips for just a moment hoping to relax whatever was making him look nervous. _Hey, relax_, Aeka signed to him that night.

Jin held onto her wrist gently to remove her hand from his face and keep it within his own. "I am sorry—I guess I am just nervous because I have never done this before."

Aeka tilted her head to the side wondering what Jin meant that night. He was all fun and games and then suddenly turned all serious on her. It was starting to worry her greatly since it was rare she ever saw him upset, angered, or nervous and whenever he was, it meant trouble most times. But this time ended up being a good bit different.

The wind master shook his head a bit to collect his courage and dig into his left pants pocket to pull out a ring he didn't bother wrapping. Seeing it in his hand made Aeka inhale sharply as her eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful ring he got her. Placing her hand over her rapidly beating heart, she shifted her sight up to Jin wondering what he was going to do. _Oh, Jin_, she signed to him breathlessly, _it looks so beautiful_!

"I am glad you like it," Jin replied once he got her to look into his eyes so she could see his lips moving. "I wanted you to have this because—I love you and I wanted you to be mine…" Taking her hand, he slipped the white diamonded ring onto her ring finger so she could enjoy and treasure it for as long as they would be together.

Akina still didn't know what proposed meant but she let her mother sit and daydream about whatever it was she was daydreaming about that the young child was oblivious to.

Touya came closer to the two when he didn't see a response come from Aeka's hands. "Proposed, Akina," the ice master began causing the two to look his way, "is when your father bonded for life with your mother. Your father in other words said how much he loved your mother with that ring she wears on that finger and it says she belongs to no other man but him."

The way he said it made Aeka sound like property and it more or less made her mad but she said and did nothing but nod before standing to her feet with the basket of clean laundry in her hands.

The wind around them began to blow slightly before becoming quite aggressive forcing Akina to hide behind Touya's legs and for the ice master to raise his hand slightly to squint through the blowing airstreams. Aeka held the basket tightly to her and grabbing some of the laundry that threatened to fly out onto the dirty ground again though her knee length pale lavender hair was making it difficult. The wind getting further assertive picked up its ferocity until finally the wind master that was causing the commotion of the element made his landing not too far away from them.

_Oh!_ Aeka thought angrily since she almost dropped the laundry she cleaned. Looking over at the quirky wind master, she growled scoldingly at him causing his attention to shift towards his wife. _Jin! You almost made me drop the laundry I had just managed to finish! Next time be careful!_

Grinning apologetically, Jin scratched the back of his head since he wasn't aware it was laundry day, "Sorry, Aeka."

"Daddy!" Akina called happily, removing herself from Touya's legs.

"Hey there, Rosy," Jin said back once he squatted down to open his arms for her to come into. If he wasn't calling his daughter Princess, he was calling her Rosy because of her hair color. When Akina was growing up, Aeka was amazed that their daughter knew her birth name due to all the nicknames people gave her. Angel, Rosy, Princess, Kina, short-stuff, little demon—but regardless she turned her attention to whoever called the names out.

"So what did you go to the market for, Jin?" Touya pried as they all made their way back towards the house.

"Ooh," Jin said aloud, his tone carrying a mischievous tone, "it's only for Aeka and I to enjoy more or less."

Touya seemed to halt in his walking before looking over at the wind master, "You got liquor, didn't you?" His tone seemed to be cross and stern but why he would be when Aeka was clearly old enough to drink unlike last time they went to bar was beyond them both.

Aeka and Jin exchanged glances at one another while their daughter looked between her three guardians confused at what liquor was. _Is there a problem with that, Touya_? Aeka asked with her hands, confusion written on them and her expression.

The ice master waved his index finger towards himself while staring at Aeka wanting her to come closer as Jin held an anxious expression and started fidgeting. Getting pulled off to the side, Touya and Aeka's back turned to the others so they could talk with their hands. _Do you not know what Jin is after_? Touya asked with the Sign Language his master taught him.

A perverted grin made its way across Aeka's face as she moved some of her hair from her face and behind her ear. _Well, I have a pretty good idea if he brought back alcohol, why_?

Touya's right hand made its way to her cheek to feel how flushed it was before swallowing heavily at the scent that was driving him a bit nutty. _You are ovulating, Aeka and Jin is one hungry demon wanting to get a hold of you right now. If he gets you just right, you will both have another child and I don't think that is wise with Akina being so young and Jin being so—young minded_.

Aeka looked over her shoulder with the ice master to see the two still there next to a willow tree waiting for the others to come on so they could go back home. There were times Aeka ovulated each month a little before her period and Touya tried to contain Jin and keep the wind master from being near his wife knowing his mind would be jumbled at the smell of his life partner ready to make another child. Being that humans cannot smell or really tell when they ovulate, it was different being around a demon with enhanced senses that could. Touya tried to keep him within his bedroom during the day and let him sleep there during the night till the eggs would expire and he couldn't impregnate her again. It made Jin very irritable and fidgety but Touya put up with it knowing why his friend was acting the way he was. Looking back at Touya, she sighed heavily before nodding to him. _Alright—fine—you can lock him up again if that is what you want…_It upset her to be apart from Jin but there was nothing she could do about it unless she wanted another life to care for. Akina at the moment was all she needed at the moment and the only little girl with hers and Jin's blood she could handle at the moment.

Touya did just that later that night as he sat upon his bed with Akina in his arms so they could watch his TV. Jin however stayed close to the door and continued to pace back and forth, grunting and shifting oddly as he did so. Akina would often reallocate her attention over to her distraught father and wonder what was wrong with him. "Daddy, are you okay?" She asked nervously seeing that he wasn't happy at all and wanted out of the room to go see her mother.

"No!" Jin snapped at his daughter. Hearing the tone of his voice towards his young daughter, he sucked in his lower lip before excusing himself quickly. "I will be right back—I need to take care of myself."

Creasing her brow in sadness, Akina looked up at Touya threatening to cry at whatever she did wrong to make her father cross, "Did I do something bad…?"

"No, Akina, you did nothing wrong," Touya assured before helping her head to his chest. "Your father just really wants to be with your mother right now but I cannot allow that. He is really snappy and eager so it makes him pace a lot among other things. Don't take it personally, Angel he is like that around this time of month."

Jin hurried outside of the house to hide from sight to get rid of the painful erection he had gained due to the smell he could catch whenever Aeka walked by to slip notes under the door for him to read. Grabbing onto the trunk of a tree, he began to breathe heavily in attempts to make himself cum since he's never had one that badly before being that it was always taken care of by his wife.

Before he could bother with it any longer, somebody gripped gently onto his shoulder making him jolt slightly and growl since he was irritated and in need. The person held responsible moved in front of him to let him see that it was only Aeka. "Aeka…!" Jin replied breathlessly.

Pressing her finger to his lips to silence him, the young woman looked around to make sure they were alone before grabbing onto the center jewel to turn it clockwise and make the sash slide off of his ninja outfit.

--------------------

Kneeling before her, he helped her into his arms guessing she had to be quite tired. "Your ovulation is almost over," Jin whispered to her. "Your scent is starting to get faint so I am sure Touya wouldn't mind if I slink back into my bedroom tonight with you and Akina."

Aeka managed to smile before nuzzling in close to his chest grateful that she would be close to him tonight once more. She hated sleeping alone or just with her daughter. Being that there were demons everywhere, she feared a demon could come in and snatch her or her daughter and Lord only knows what would happen then. But with at least Jin by their side, she wouldn't be so restless and get some sleep though there were times she would beg Suzuka to let her crash with him or Rinku. _Thank you, Jin_, Aeka managed to sign to him before crashing out in his arms.


	4. Flying Above the Clouds

A few days later Jin got up early to grab an apple outside in the Makai forest to eat and then work on his wind powers since being a Shinobi he would have to be perfecting his skills just in case. It was a job, even though it slightly crumbled at the end of the Dark Tournament, he could not escape. Grabbing an apple that grew from a nearby tree within the house's perimeters, Jin couldn't help but hear Akina somewhere nearby causing him to look beyond the tree to spy her there out in the clearing near the house working on lifting herself off the ground. Growling a bit disapprovingly, he bit out of the apple he retrieved before coming closer to his disobedient daughter. "Akina," Jin began in a scolding tone, "I thought I told you not to come out here all alone!"

Akina looked at her father sadly before flopping down upon her rear to look up at her towering father. "I was trying to fly and nobody can teach me…I've been grounded long enough, daddy, I want to fly!"

Finishing off his apple, he tossed the leftovers onto the dirty ground before bending down to pick up his daughter into his arms. He had tried to help his daughter lift off the ground before but she continued to fall over and over again and it made Aeka really furious at Jin's carelessness. Over time, Jin stopped trying to let Akina use her wings with him there since he was worried she couldn't handle the falls over and over. It tore him up inside that she continued to cry every time she fell face first into the dirt below her, and it was probably that visualization and not Aeka's angry eye that got to him first. "Akina, I have told you that it will come to you in due time. Just give it awhile. Being that you are half human, it may take awhile for your body to get used to your demonic energy and powers."

Akina merely nodded before looking up disappointedly at the sky above her. She wanted to fly up in the sky and be free for at least a moment but it was impossible when her two different wings wouldn't work in unison to pick her up off the floor—one needing just to flap while the other needed air to glide upon.

Jin looked up at the sky with her for a moment before putting her down and then kneeling himself. "Come on, Akina—get on." When his daughter didn't budge, he continued, "Get on my back and I will let you see what it's like to fly."

Akina was quick to work her way up to her father's back and grip onto his neck best she could. Resting her chin upon his right shoulder, she got a bit giddy inside. "Alright, I am ready, daddy."

"Are you hanging on good and tight?" He asked before getting to his feet.

"Yes, daddy," Akina answered with a giggle.

"Alright then, here we go!" Gathering the wind about him quickly, Jin flew straight from the sky above them. His arms out at his sides and his legs tightly pressed together, the wind master got as far up as he could just above the clouds where his daughter could see the world below her. His red shaggy hair blew about the wild wind that kept him up causing Akina to squint a few times since it was attacking her face at times. "Are you looking, Akina?" He asked loudly over the roaring wind.

Akina opened her eyes to look down at the land below them that passed by rather quickly thanks to her father's speed when he was in the air. "Daddy, we are up so high!" She calls back with a smile upon her face. "It looks so pretty up here! But—what would happen if I fall?"

"You know I would never let you fall, Akina," Jin assured, looking over at his daughter. "Now hold on tight, Akina—let me show you what I can really do!"

Doing as her father asked, Jin nosedived quickly through the clouds before shooting back up through them to let her feel the clouds pass right through them. Turning his body to the left, he went down in the opposite direction before straightening back up to nosedive down towards the forests below at a quick pace. Getting through the canopy just fine, Jin found his way to a river not too far away and started to fly just above it so Akina could look below the water and watch the fish swim about in either direction. Looking into the water below her, she couldn't help but giggle at some of the fishes that jumped out to greet them on their way down the river.

Seeing that the river was starting to come to an end, Jin continued on his way regardless as the raging waterfall up ahead started to roar louder the closer they came. Going over, Jin kept his front close to the falling water before he felt they were too close to where the falls ended causing him to pull back up and head for the skies once more. Getting back up to the clear blue sky, he looked over at his daughter who was enjoying the time she had with her father since this was the first time since she was born that she got to see the world from that high up. Knowing she wanted to be able to fly on her own, Jin was willing to take a chance as he swallowed hard and thought of what to tell her. "Akina, I want you to unfold your wings, raise them both high up in the air and then let go of me, ok?" Jin called to her once more over the wind.

Akina looked at her father frighteningly wondering why he would want her to do that. "But—but, daddy—we are so high up, I could fall!"

"Akina, I will be here if you fall and I promise I will catch you no matter what," Jin reassured continuing straight on ahead. "I want you to raise your wings so the wind can take them both and you can try to fly. Are you ready?"

Being so young, she was still fearful of what would happen if the wind wasn't there for her and she would end up falling. But she remembered that her father was the wind at the moment and if anything, he would never let her be hurt. Her grip tightening upon her father a moment, she showed signs of refusal to let go until Akina finally opened her wings and released her father's neck once the wind swooped her up.

Jin quickly stopped to turn around and check on how his daughter was doing. The wind did indeed catch both wings and she was struggling to stay up no matter how many times her wings flapped. Seeing this caused Jin to come closer to his struggling daughter and hold onto her hands so as to let the child know he was there for her. "Steady your flapping, Akina. If you flap them too much, you will end up exhausting yourself. Just flap whenever you feel you are falling off course, and the wings will keep you up as will the wind."

Akina listened to her father and tried steadying her flapping wings when she felt her body slipping from where she was in the skies as her father suggested. "Am I doing this right, daddy?" Akina asked continuing to flap her wings at the right moment.

"Yes, Rosy, just like that," Jin encouraged gradually letting go of her hands like a baby trying to learn to walk. "Keep doing it. I will be right here in case you fall." Keeping his child like blue eyes upon his daughter, he watched closely as she continued on her way through the sky right by him once he shifted to the left of her. "There you go, Akina, you're doing it!"

Akina continued to flap her little wings best she could even if it was difficult given their petite size. "I'm flying, daddy!" Akina praised looking down at the world below her before shifting over to her father. "I am finally flying, daddy!"

"I knew you would," Jin called over to her staying right there beside her. "It may be a bit hard to take off without my help, but I assure you, sweetie that in due time, your wind powers will develop." Allowing Akina to enjoy her moment without his help, he eventually reached over to help her back into his arms where she could settle her little wings once he saw fatigue written all over her face. "There…you can rest yourself in my arms," Jin whispered to just between the two of them.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Akina nuzzled up against her father with a smile once her wings folded behind her body. The wind massaging her cherry colored hair, Akina felt right at home with her father there in the sky. "It feels so nice up here, daddy."

"Aye," Jin grinned while his crimson hair waved about the fingers of the wind and the straps of his outfit beating roughly against the breeze. "You were born to be up here, Akina," the wind master replied over the wind letting her watch the trees get bigger and bigger as they got closer to the ground. "When you were first brought into this world, I took you up here when your mother was sleeping and it is here you will remain for all eternity. I will always be the wind under your wings to take you higher even in death so you shouldn't have to ever worry about falling."

"I know you will, daddy," Akina replied in return. Grabbing onto his cheeks, she kissed him on his left with a smile she exchanged from her father's.

The two getting lower to the ground, Jin brought his feet forward to catch himself on the ground. But where he landed was nowhere near the house, it was within the demonic market place. Keeping his daughter within his embrace, Jin walked about the market place looking for something to get his daughter to show he loved her while Akina stayed put exhaustedly within her father's strong arms. It was exceptionally busy today and Jin's ears were forced to shrink back down to the normal human look due to the noise annoying his heightened hearing.

"Oh, Jin!" A demon called to the wind master from one of the market stands.

Jin's attention shifted swiftly to the demon that called out to him and he couldn't help but smile widely with his ears pointing and wiggling once more. "Hiroshi!" Jin called back in excitement before walking over to the stand that was littered with sorted alcohols. It was here that Jin got most of his—well—gin. The demon was a lower class male with tied back slick black hair. Hiroshi's face was narrow like that of a horse and he had horns that curled about his pointed ears. He looked honestly to Jin like a goat demon and he would at times tease him about that.

"What brings you here? I thought you bought some liquor not too long ago. Did it run out already?" Hiroshi asked leaning forward to speak with just the wind master at the moment.

"No, no," Jin assured with a toothy grin, "I came here to look for something for my daughter, Akina." Here, Jin showered off the now sleeping child that Hiroshi hadn't seen ever since she was born.

The liquor seller leaned forward on his hands to take a gander at the sleeping child over his stand, a smile creeping across his narrow face. "Aah, she looks just like ya," Hiroshi complimented. "I haven't seen her since she was born four years ago and I am already amazed at how fast she has grown. But something for your daughter, eh?" Twirling his finger around the long black beard that hung upon his chin, in thought, the demon eventually snapped his fingers as soon as the idea struck him. "I think I have just the thing for you."

Jin watched as Hiroshi disappeared behind his stand to dig through his belongings hoping the man wasn't going to give him alcohol for he wanted something meaningful. Waiting for awhile and many grumblings that the seller said to himself, eventually Hiroshi resurfaced with a necklace within his hands catching Jin's attention. Looking at the bright orange square, he could make out the design of a fire red bird making the necklace seeming to blaze with life every time the sun caught it. "What is that?"

"This here is a Phoenix Pendant. Being a man of the air, I assume you know what a phoenix is, eh?" Hiroshi asked with his arms crossed upon the bar top.

"Of course," Jin answered dangling the necklace before him. "They are mythical birds that represent rebirth and fly on wings of fire."

"Good. Then give Akina that and I am sure it will mean the world to her being that it came from her father," Hiroshi finished, eyeing the wind master.

"Thank you, Hiroshi—what should I give you for it?" Jin asked fixing to dig into his pocket to get out his money.

Hiroshi raised his hand to stop Jin from looking any further for his money. "Don't worry about it. Consider it a late 'congrats' present for the birth of your daughter."

"Thank you, Hiroshi," Jin repeated happily before putting the necklace around his daughter's neck. Letting the big object hang from around her neck, Jin assured himself mentally that Akina would grow into her new jewelry. "One day you will be able to fly high just like these mythical birds, but until then, I will let you keep this until that day." Kissing her upon her cherry colored bangs, he rocked his sleeping daughter before taking flight once more to head back home.

-----------------------------------

Touya appeared to be on edge months later and he seemed to spend most of his time staring at the front door or beyond the house. It was really beginning to worry Aeka when it came to his behavior since she had never seen him do this before. It was as though he stayed planted near the door just to threaten anything that could be lurking beyond the house.

Catching him in the act one night, she confronted him nervously. Placing her hand upon his shoulder to get his attention, she cocked her thin white brow at him. _Touya, what are you doing? You've been like this for awhile now. Why don't you go to bed? It's really late_.

The ice Shinobi looked over his shoulder at Aeka's worried face and hand signals but did nothing at the moment but turn to look back out at the area around them. "I will in a little while," he answered quietly not wishing to startle her.

_But, you've been like this ever since you got back from the market place five months ago_, Aeka thought to herself wishing Touya would tell her what was wrong.

Jin walked out of the training dojo that was next to the house pulling his top training shirt off since it was drenched in sweat. Rubbing his forehead with the back of his arm, he noticed Touya once again standing there looking on edge and Aeka right beside him. Turning his attention out at the woods surrounding them and creaking with life, he couldn't help but frown a bit himself since he himself could sense it. Seeing the worry in Aeka's face, Jin threw his top shirt over his shoulder before bothering to make himself known, "Hey, Aeka."

Seeing her husband coming towards her, Aeka shifted her sea green eyes over at the wind master hoping he would talk to Touya and make him go to bed and stop staying up worrying over whatever it was that was worrying him. _Jin_, Aeka began, _will you please talk some sense into your—_.

Not letting her finish, Jin grabbed onto her wrist and helped her into the house away from the alert ice demon. "Come on, Aeka, let's leave Touya alone. I have some drinks I've been meaning to down when I bought them so I think now would be a good time more than any."

Suzuka came in from out of the woods where he went to practice at his own term seeing the rattled Touya still watching the wooded area before him. He said nothing to Touya as he made his way inside the house since he felt it was none of his business about what had a hold on him. Getting to the refrigerator, he grabbed bottled water before being confronted by Jin causing him to lift an eyebrow at him a bit irritated. "What?"

"Would you mind doing us a big favor and watch over Akina for us?" Jin asked with a sly grin.

Suzuka was none too keen on the idea since he was never good with children and he was still working on putting together new items and not in the mood to baby-sit.

"Come on, she's already asleep so you won't have to do anything, I promise," Jin swore with his innocent navy eyes.

Sighing, Suzuka took a sip of his water before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Alright, fine. I will watch over her for you."

The narcissistic demon waited outside of Jin's bedroom for him to resurface with his sleeping little daughter. Holding her with just one arm, the wind master handed her over to Suzuka so he and Aeka could be alone for a little while. "Here, she shouldn't be any trouble. Even if she wakes up, she will go right back to sleep in no time so don't worry about her causing a fuss—unless she has a nightmare that is."

"And what if she has a nightmare?" Suzuka pried, lifting his brow at Jin.

"Just read to her or tell her its okay! Honestly, Suzuka, it's not as hard as you make it out to be," Jin growled wanting to believe he was leaving his daughter in capable hands.

Suzuka took Akina into his arms careful not to rouse her since he didn't want to play twenty questions with her. "You owe me for this one, Jin," Suzuka muttered before heading into the far back of the hallway where his bedroom was located on the right.

Making sure everything was okay Jin zipped back into his bedroom before locking the door behind him so Aeka and he could be alone. He could see the worried look upon his wife and frowned slightly prior to attempting to perk back up and make her do the same. "Don't worry about, Touya. You know him and his stubborn arse," Jin teased with a grin once his hands made their way to her shoulders. "Just try to loosen up a little bit."

Aeka sighed a bit before looking into Jin's wide eyes knowing he was just trying to make her forget her worries surrounding the ice master's behavior lately. _I know I should…I am just worried about him is all_…

"Yeah," Jin whispered swinging her arms a bit with his own before reaching for a bag he got out and put on top the bed. "Hey, I got Suzuka to take Akina for us so we can have some fun."

When Aeka wondered what he meant by fun, she looked over at the bag to see Jin pull out a couple of beer bottles and wine since Aeka could only handle some beer depending and wine was more her thing. _Oh jeez_, Aeka signed with a playful roll of her eyes. _Alright then, Jin, give me some of that red wine if you got any_.

"You've got it," Jin grinned grabbing the bottle of red wine he managed to snag from Hiroshi not too long ago. Hunting through the bag, he pulled out two strong Shochus for himself since that was always his favorite drink if anything. "Well, bottoms up," the wind master grinned before letting the bottles clank together in a cheers.

------------------------

Touya could hear the bed swaying and knocking against the wall as he finally made his way back inside the house. Smelling the stench of alcohol from Jin and Aeka's bedroom, the ice master couldn't help but swing his head back and gag since he was never big on such things. "Well, at least I know who will be fighting over the toilet come tomorrow," Touya joked lightly to himself before heading to his room right next door. Closing his door behind him silently, he couldn't help but sigh to himself before looking out his window at the woods that were his only scenery. _I'm worried—worried for Jin and myself…_Walking over to the open window Touya closed it for the night before slinking back to his bed to get some sleep for the night figuring he would be fine since the sexual fun next door was almost over.


	5. For Want of a Half Demon

If there was one thing Aeka learned during her time of being able to hear thanks to Suzuka's gadget was that Jin snored like a bulldozer and so she made it a habit to turn off her hearing aid at least at night. Unable to do so before she passed out, Jin's snoring woke her the coming morning as well as the added bright light from the rising sun. Wincing at both, she opened her eyes trying to rouse the rest of her body but to get a nasty feeling rushing all over her. _Oh man…I feel like complete shit…_ Aeka groaned in thought holding onto her head. Managing to get up she tried to make haste to the bathroom since she could feel the wine she had consumed threatening to come up and fast. Running to the bathroom with her hands around her stomach and mouth, Aeka managed to get to the bathroom in time to vomit the red wine she had consumed the night before.

Jin began to stir once he heard Aeka's nausea eventually opening his baby blue eyes to the morning's light. Trying to sit upright, Jin couldn't help but blink several times as well as threaten to fall back onto the bed. "Well, goodness me—guess I over did it this time, eh?" The wind master couldn't help but laugh a bit to himself before Aeka's miserable time in the bathroom caught his attention once more. Hefting himself up, Jin stumbled into the restroom with a bit of a hangover himself but coming from a Shinobi that was used to anything and anyone trying to pummel his head into the ground, this was nothing though keeping the liquids down was a losing battle in itself.

Leaning on the doorway a second watching Aeka, he eventually made his way over to the toilet to pull back Aeka's long pale lavender hair for her. "You did quite the number on yourself now, didn't ya, sweetie?"

Finally finishing her first session with her face buried in the toilet, Aeka eventually managed to look her husband miserably in the eyes. _Me? You were the one pouring wine down my throat!_

"Hey, hey," Jin snapped in a playful yet informative tone, "I didn't see you telling me to stop!"

Seeing that she was going to be spending a lot of time around the bathroom area, Jin left for a moment once he got his pants on at least to go find Touya and wake him for some help. Knocking on Touya's door with his knuckles, Jin was relieved to see his partner standing there with a weary, messy look about him—obviously he had just woken. "What do you want, Jin?" Touya asked almost grumpily.

"I was wondering if you could help me out with Aeka since she has the worse hangover yet," Jin begged trying to stay upright.

Sighing through his nostrils, Touya said and did nothing but push his way past Jin so he could go see Aeka. "By the by, you might want to go snatch Akina. I think Suzuka has had enough for one night," Touya suggested before disappearing into the bedroom to find Aeka.

"What, she have a bad dream?" Jin pried.

"Yes," Touya answered with a yawn, "and she's been crying all night. I had a hard time sleeping because of that. I am sure she would want you—." Before Touya could bother finishing what he had to say, Jin had already left and barged into Suzuka's bedroom making the ice master shrug before continuing on his way to pull Aeka's head from the toilet. Seeing that she was not ready for someone else to be there to help her up, he shushed her softly trying to settle her jerking movements and attempts to escape. "Shhh, it's just me. Let's get you back to bed and I can work on that cure for you."

Aeka let Touya lift her up underneath her arms so he could place her back onto the bed where she mumbled and moaned in misery. Making sure she was at least covered up a little bit, Touya headed to the kitchen to get the items he would need to make the hangover cure for Aeka as he did every time she got that bad. It wasn't exactly a fun drink to take in but it was more or less more punishment for her reckless decision making. Making his way to the kitchen, he overheard part of the commotion going on in Suzuka's bedroom.

Jin had made it to Suzuka's bedroom to find the demon exhausted and fixing to pass out even when explaining what all happened during the night. Massaging his forehead while lying out on his bed, the blond haired demon shook his head from side to side. "I am telling you, I woke up at five or something in the morning to find her crying her eyes out about something. I don't know what it was because she kept crying all night and wouldn't stop."

Jin could tell Akina was still uptight and startled by something. Her little frame was shaking slightly in his arms as he held her there with her cheek resting on his right shoulder and her arms about her father's neck. The silent tears that were rolling down her cheek were mating with his shoulder making Jin's heart break since his daughter was really hurting. Resting his cheek upon her cherry colored head, he sighed heavily before addressing her, "Akina, what's wrong, princess?" Seeing that she was still in a tizzy about being in that room, Jin relocated so Suzuka could get some sleep.

Shutting Suzuka's door behind him, Jin continued to try and consol his daughter with Touya there at the end of the hallway where it opened up into the eating room and kitchen area. Rocking his daughter within his arms and cupping the back of her head, he let his only child know he was there for her. "Shhh, Akina, I am right here. Just tell me what is wrong and why you're so upset. Was the dream that bad?"

Akina rubbed her red eyes with her nightshirt sleeve, exchanging glances from Touya to her father with a heartbreaking expression. "No," Akina eventually answered looking up at her father for a moment. "It wasn't a dream, I heard creepy guys outside the window."

"Creepy guys?" Jin reiterated confused. "Akina, did you hear them in the room or outside the house?" Jin knew that some lower class demons had a bad habit of sneaking around the perimeter especially late at night when all the lights went out in the house. Some of them wanted to get in to have Aeka or Akina since both had the smell of human about them. Very rarely could some of these beasts get topside to find human flesh so when it came down to them it was a big treat indeed.

"I saw them in the room," Akina answered threatening to cry again at having to remember it.

"In the room?" Jin sounded startled as well as confused at this point wondering how in the hell demons could sneak in and Suzuka not have sensed it. "Akina, are you sure they were in the bedroom?"

Touya listened in on the conversation while continuing to stir the cure he was creating for Aeka. His expression couldn't help but hold serious concern for Akina at what she claimed she had witnessed. Seeing that Jin was confused as to how demons could get in and then out without any problems, Touya cleared his throat to make himself known to the other two. "Jin—you know they are out there," Touya replied vaguely. "I'd be careful if I were you for they know about Akina."

Hearing Touya say that and hearing of the experience his daughter endured vexed Jin greatly as he watched the ice master disappear into his own bedroom. Looking down at his still upset daughter, Jin hefted her up a bit since she was slipping and headed into his own bedroom after Touya. "From now on you're staying in here with your ma and me."

Touya was already on the bed helping Aeka down the elixir he made for her though she couldn't help but gag after the first sip. Pushing it away with a cough and a threat to throw back up, the ice master grabbed the trashcan he snagged from the bathroom so she could throw up in that. The drink Touya made for her was to help her or anyone else who drinks it to throw up the alcohol and sate the stomach if enough was taken. The taste and smell itself was enough to do the trick and the combined outcome was enough to make someone pass out. _God that shit is so nasty!_ Aeka signed weakly once she managed to vomit up more of the wine she downed.

"Well, you know what this is what happens when you get completely plastered," Touya lectured making her drink a bit more prompting her to revisit the trashcan he held before her.

Akina watched her mother as she fidgeted with her nightshirt wondering what was going on. "Daddy, why is mommy so sick?"

"Oh, don't worry about your ma, Akina," Jin assured before going over to his part of the bed to lie down for a bit with Akina on his chest. "She will be just fine in due time."

Aeka turned to look at Jin with an angry eye but was unable to for long thanks to Touya pushing her attention back towards the hangover cure he had and that was not completely taken in yet by her. "Finish that," Touya ordered placing the cup upon the nightstand close to her since he couldn't trust her to hold it with the headache she had. "I have to go to the market today. I expect for that to be completely gone when I get back. Jin, help her."

Aeka and Jin watched as Touya excited the room seeming quite miffed about something. It couldn't have been that Aeka and Jin got drunk, was it? They had gotten drunk on several accounts and Touya didn't care though he did find it annoying that he had to shove his cure down their throats. Moistening her throat with a simple swallow, Aeka looked over at Jin who shifted his attention from the closed door to his wife with the same expression of bewilderment at Touya's actions. _What happened to him? Did you guys get into a fight or something?_

Jin shook his head from side to side, "No. I think he is just uptight about the demons that scared Akina last night."

_Demons!_ Aeka was quick to sign. _Demons in the house!_

Jin couldn't help but chuckle at the comment since he needed a bit of humor at the moment, "Well, honey, I am a demon as are the others so of course there are demons in the house."

_Oh, no, don't do that, Jin—don't be a smartass for I am not in the mood for that right now_, Aeka demanded with her hands and eyes. _What demons are you talking about? Which ones did Akina see?_

"I don't know which class but I bet you anything they are demons that work for rich snobs in human world," Jin guessed letting Akina listen to his heartbeat as he breathed.

_Rich snobs in human world? What would they want with us?_ Aeka asked before lying down so the room would stop spinning.

"Well, there are some people in human world that are collectors of demon species especially if they can get them a hefty sum of money," Jin explained running his fingers through his daughter's hair as she raised and fell with her father's chest expanding and contracting. "So these snobs hire demons to get these demons and I think that's why Touya's been on edge and having staring contests with the forests around the house."

_But, Jin…_Aeka began with confusion, _what would they want with Akina?_

"Half demons are pretty rare," Jin answered rolling his fingers over Akina's pointed ear. "Back in the day when Demon World and Human World were not separated they occurred a lot more frequently than they do now. I am sure these people who want a half demon hired demons that were affected by the Shinobi's past actions and have a reason to want to piss me and Touya off."

Aeka looked at her napping daughter who obviously wore herself out from all the crying she did. Though Akina was unplanned for her, she still loved her daughter and wanted her to be safe. Watching as Jin relocated his daughter to the bedcovers and in between her parents, Aeka looked back at Jin with worry in her expression. _But, what does that mean for us? If nobody can sense the demons entering the house, can they not get to Akina while we sleep?_

"It's not that we cannot sense them, we can sense them just fine especially if they are our power level or higher. But when they are low on the strength chain, it's harder to sense them especially when we're out cold for the night," Jin clarified, kissing Akina's cheek. "That is why I am keeping Akina in here till the storm passes more or less. If she is sleeping in between us, she cannot get lifted without my knowing it."

_I sure hope so_, Aeka thought to herself before reaching back for the cure Touya made for her. _Guess I better down the rest of this so Touya will leave me alone as will this stupid hangover_.

Touya came back home later still feeling on edge thanks to those lower class demons still there watching in the woods. It made him want to put up his Ice Barrier to protect the house but he knew that wouldn't last and drain him considerably. Walking inside he saw Akina was right there at the dinner table swinging her legs back and forth a bit where she sat in the chair. Wondering where Jin was knowing that Aeka was probably still feeling a bit woozy, he felt compelled to ask, "Akina, where is your father?"

"Asleep, I think," Akina answered before hopping off of the chair she was on. "He said later he would take me to the market with mommy once they both feel better since he does not like me being around the house because of the bad guys."

"Did your mother finish that drink in there that I gave her?" The ice master asked before picking up Akina in his arms with a grunt since she was getting a bit heavy.

"Yes, she did," Akina answered before reaching for the demon's aquatic colored bangs to pull gently on. "She kept getting sick until she went to sleep."

Touya let Akina take a gentle grab onto his bangs until he felt she was getting too rough with them, forcing him to pull her hands from them. "Your mother will be okay, Akina. Don't worry about her." Heading to his bedroom, Touya dug into his pants pocket to pull out an ordinary golden circular chain that looked like it was for wearing on the wrist. Placing the young half demon on the bedcovers, he snapped the bracelet around her wrist so she could look at it for a moment.

"What's this?" Akina asked looking at it from all angles before pawing gently at the one hanging part of the chain that looked like it was supposed to have something on there.

"It's a bracelet, princess," Touya replied before rolling his icy cold hand along the area where her arm was. Rolling his fingers down to the hanging chain, Touya concentrated on the chain a moment letting his ice powers meld around it so it could form the shape of a bird about to take flight. "There—it can go with your phoenix pendent."

Akina looked at the bird hanging from the chain, causing her to smile and touch the ice figure. "That's really pretty but won't it break?"

"No, it won't break so long as I am alive," Touya assured running his hand over her head lovingly.

The door to Jin's bedroom soon opened causing them to look at the door shut before them. "Akina?" Touya could hear Jin call sounding a bit worried for his little girl.

"She's in here with me," the ice Shinobi shouted, picking back up Akina so he could transfer her over to her father. Opening the door from his bedroom, he smiled at him for a moment before handing her over to his partner. "I caught her at the dinner table and thought I would relocate her if that is okay."

Taking his daughter with a relieved sigh, he nodded at Touya before kissing Akina on her forehead. "We're going to go out together so we can get away from those—things. Do you want to come along with us?"

"No, I just came back from the busy market strip," Touya chuckled before looking at Jin seriously. "Just be careful out there…"

"You know me," Jin grinned trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere before heading back to his bedroom so he could get everyone cleaned up.

Touya couldn't help but frown inwardly at Jin's remark while conveying a worried expression on the outside. _That's why I am worried_.

Coming back into his bedroom, he smiled at Aeka to see she was at least sitting upright and not getting wobbly headed or throwing up. Her hair and everything else was a mess though thanks to that hangover stage but he knew he could shoo her off to get dressed if need be. "Aeka, why don't you go get ready so we can leave? I'll take care of Akina while you do."

Aeka nodded best she could before tossing the bedcovers off of her legs so she could move. _Alright_, was all Aeka could sign before making her way into the bathroom so she could bathe.

Jin looked to Akina before blowing a kiss on her cheek to make her giggle. "Come on, let's get your hair all fixed up before going out. It's a mess." Reaching for the brush Aeka used from time to time, Jin plopped his daughter down gently onto the mattress to start combing it out for her. Spying the bracelet she now bore, he couldn't help but cock his brow at it. "What's this, Rosy?"

"Touya made it for me," Akina giggled showing off the bracelet a little more this time for her father. "It's a birdie—see?"

"How interesting," Jin thought rolling his fingers over the ice figure. "Did you thank him?"

Akina brought her right hand up to her mouth to suck on her fingers a moment before shaking her cherry colored hair back and forth as a 'no'.

"You will have to thank him when we get back then," Jin urged since he didn't want her to grow up without manners. Going back to brushing her wild hair that she obviously got from her father, he eventually got her neck length hair to look just fine before attempting to tie it back even if the bit up front escaped the hair tie. "There you go, princess. You look precious. And don't you worry none, I will take care of you and make sure nothing bad happens to you."

Aeka eventually got ready and took off to the market area with Jin so they could show Akina around. Knowing those low leveled demons were still out there the two parents kept a close eye on their daughter to make sure she would be okay. The market was crowded as usual but Aeka kept Akina in her arms so the curious child wouldn't wonder off. Walking through the many demons of different levels and species, she followed behind Jin with his hand within her own. She herself never really saw the market many times at least not for fun. Whenever she needed to get something for dinner, she would make a list and give it to someone other than Chuu since the last time she trusted the demon with a grocery list and money he blew it all on boozes.

The trio would stop every now and then at a stand that either Aeka or Akina would find interesting and want to look at. Aeka kept stopping at every jewelry stand she found to take a look at all the pieces she admired and were made by demonic hands. Handing Akina over to Jin, she took a peek at the fifth jewelry stand she found to take a look at some of the earrings that were on display since she felt she could afford some more. The low level female demon that was running the stand lifted her head up off of her propped elbow to see the three there before her. Taking in who they were visually and by her senses, she realized that the one with pale braided lavender hair was a human. Not questioning why a human was there in Makai, she straightened up just in case she was to ask her questions.

Aeka exchanged a smile with the female demon that looked like a regular human herself with a dark complexion and curly blond hair but it was the long nails and slit golden eyes that gave her away. Shifting her sea green eyes down at the jewelry before her, she smiled at what there was. _This looks pretty_, Aeka thought taking a pair of dangling earrings that were crafted in gold but held a circular orb at the end that blazed with fire inside.

Seeing the human picking up a certain pair, the female demon smiled a bit, "Those earrings were said to be crafted from a fire demon. The inside of the circular glass part has demonic fire that was captured by the fire demon herself."

Aeka looked at the woman as she explained before looking back at the earrings she held admiring the swirling fire. _I love it_, Aeka signed continuing to eye them from all angles.

The demon looked at her hand movements with confusion before Jin clarified for Aeka, "She said she loves them. She's deaf and can only hear right now thanks to a hearing aid device a friend made." Digging into his pocket to pull out the money he had at the moment, he handed over what was necessary so Aeka could take them. "Thank you."

Aeka took the earrings Jin bought for her and worked on putting them on while he held Akina. "Those look pretty, mommy," her daughter remarked before reaching to try and touch one.

Jin caught Akina's prying hand so she wouldn't yank one off. "Be careful, Akina—you could hurt your ma if you tug on those. I didn't know you had your ears pierced, Aeka."

_I never bothered putting anything in them but I did on occasion and made sure the holes would stay open and not close_, Aeka explained before taking her daughter into her arms once more. _You like them, baby? I am glad_. Kissing her daughter on the cheek, she grabbed onto her nose gently to wiggle it with a soft laugh.

Jin took the two of them just outside of the market strip to play around with Akina a little bit since she was getting antsy. Aeka lied out on the green grass while watching Jin and Akina swing around with one another hand in hand. "Faster, daddy!" Akina urged keeping a firm grip on her father's wrists as he swung her around.

"Faster?" Jin asked with a laugh before picking up his speed so Akina's feet would lift off of the ground once his speed increased. "How is that?"

Akina could only laugh as he continued to spin her around there in the clearing they found surrounded by the demonic forest and able to hear the talking of the merchants and customers in the market not too far off. Through all the spinning, Jin eventually got a bit dizzy and had to stop by falling on his rump with Akina on top of his chest. Crawling up to her father's rising and falling chest, she looked him into the eyes, "Again!"

"Again?" Jin asked with a laugh before looking at Aeka who was upside down from where he was now resting on his back. "Aeka, a little help here."

Aeka couldn't help but chuckle to herself before getting up to squat down besides Jin and Akina. _Akina you've been swinging around for thirty minutes now_, Aeka signed with a soft laugh before shifting her attention down at her husband. _You should take a break—but then again, you could just tickle him to death_.

Before Jin could tell them not to, Aeka and Akina both attacked him in his known ticklish areas making the wind master try to escape by rolling over but it did little good as his wife and daughter continued to get him good and in a laughing fit. "**AH**!" Jin cried out over them though his laughing was making it difficult, "You're both evil!"

Eventually the two stopped tickling Jin to death allowing him to catch his breath before Aeka embraced his torso giggling in his pointed ear while Akina took his neck to nuzzle into his cheek. Finding his breath once more, Jin grinned at the two plotting his revenge on them both but stopped once a twig snapped and that same lower class demonic energy attacked his senses. "Get off me and get behind me," Jin ordered quietly and seriously for once.

Aeka and Akina were confused but could tell he was angry about something in the woods so they did as he asked. Akina quickly hurried over to her mother's leg causing Aeka to bend down to pick up her only little girl. Aeka wanted to ask what was going on but reframed from doing so once she felt like she was being watched but Akina was a different story. "Daddy, what is wrong?"

Jin could sense where the demons where and could tell he was in trouble at the moment. "Aeka, come here," he whispered trying to get her into his arms so he could quickly take off with them. _They have surrounded us…are they that desperate to get Akina_?

Aeka started coming closer to her husband with her daughter held securely in her arms, but before she could make it, Jin flinched in pain from something that was shot from behind and hit him good in the back. Seeing and hearing Jin's sudden wincing expression, she saw the problem on his back—a dart of some kind embedded within the demon's skin. _Oh, God_! Aeka panicked within her mind ripping the dart out of Jin's back.

"Aeka, what was it?" Jin questioned silently still, remaining calm unless one of the demons showed themselves and got a step closer to his family.

Aeka showed Jin the dart looking object that she pulled from his back with worry consuming her expression.

Taking it from his wife, he couldn't help but throw it down and pick up his family quickly so he could take flight and try to get back home. "Aeka, I want you to promise me something—I want you to promise me you'll get home as fast as you can with or without me."

Aeka looked at Jin confused and with fear not wishing to believe something would happen to the demon she was in love with.

"They hit me with a tranquilizer and for some reason that hit was **WAY** off from hitting Akina," Jin explained before lowering himself back down to the ground since he couldn't afford to be in the air for too long. "Though the tranquilizer cannot exactly knock me out in ten seconds flat like any normal being or creature, it will get to me in due time. They are getting bold and want me out and I want you to run as fast as you can to the house if I ever pass out."

Aeka knew even if he flew the whole way there it would be at least a day's way from where they stood from the house. Either way, Jin knew he would pass out in the woods thanks to the injection he was given forcibly like a wild animal and with the demons that got him knowing he was injected, they would circle in on him like wolves stalking a wounded animal. But the thought of leaving him alone brought tears to her eyes as she shook her head to show she wasn't going to leave him alone if the drug kicked in. _No_, Aeka mouthed.

"Aeka, I am not going to argue with you," Jin growled this time but stopped short of his threat thanks to another creature getting him once more with another tranquilizer from the trees. Pulling it angrily from his back and attacking the demon in the trees with his wind powers, he grabbed onto Aeka's arm and hurried her out of the way and ran at his demonic speed to safety if he could find it. _Dammit—I cannot believe they are attacking us now! These bastards must follow us everywhere!_

Holding onto her upset daughter who was whimpering and whining in her arms, Aeka kept a hold of her husband's neck praying they would make it back home in time not wanting Jin or Akina to be taken from her. Hearing the trees' leaves rustle, Aeka could just make out the demons prancing from branch to branch in order to keep up with the slowing down wind master they had captured in their grasp.

Not able to fight off the two shots he was given of a sleeping drug, Jin's running slowed to a complete halt and he ended up collapsing on his hands and knees. "No…dammit…," he swore since he knew he was only fifteen minutes away by now. "Aeka…you're gonna have to…go…**NOW**!"

Aeka watched her husband feeling her heart sink at what he had to say to her. Akina didn't want to leave her father behind and started crying out to him several times causing Aeka and Jin's hearts to break. Kneeling down, she tried to put Jin's arm over her shoulder so she could help him back home. _Come on, Jin_, Aeka thought, _I can get you back home, I promise—_.

"Stop it," Jin growled angrily once more threatening to roll over and pass out. "I want you to go home and get the others…go now, Aeka, I won't tell you again!" Not able to tell her again, the wind Shinobi passed out face first on the ground thanks to the darts finally overcoming him.

"Daddy!" Akina cried seeing her father finally give out before her. "Daddy, wake up!"

_Jin…?_ Aeka wondered before kneeling down to see he was indeed out cold.

Before she could touch him, the lower class demons revealed themselves from where they were hiding from the dangerous wind Shinobi since he had taken out some of them on his way to get home when he could. Looking at the hideous demons that managed to drug down Jin, Aeka cupped the back of her daughter's head in fear of these creatures since her only hope of surviving was out cold on the ground.

A double headed monster completely brown skin kicked the body of the wind master as if he were trash. "It looks like the shit finally worked. You would have thought one would be enough with what the boss made to take him out."

"Don't kick him, the boss wants him too," another ordered.

One of the demons looked to the frightened mother and the equally petrified child, reaching out to them both with a fanged grin and withered looking hand. "Give me, the child."

Aeka shook her head as she backed up to show she wasn't going to let them have her daughter as well.

"Don't do something you'll end up regretting," the demon threatened coming closer to her slowly.

Aeka couldn't help but do so as she turned her back on the demons quickly no matter how much it hurt her inside to leave Jin behind like that and hurried off towards the house no matter how grim things looked for her. Akina continued screaming out to her father not wanting to leave him either but it had to be done. Aeka could hear the hurried steps of the lower class demons and the swearing threats he sent her way but she tried not to listen as she prayed to Koenma that she would make it out okay. But Aeka got blindsided by one of the demons and it caused her to fall to the left and smash her head against one of the trees making her go out like a light thanks to the force used.


	6. A Torn Family

Swarmed with nightmares during the time she was out, Aeka began to twitch and turn in her sleep as the pain to her head started to really get to her, forcing her eyes to shoot wide open before trying to sit upright only to be stopped by Suzuka's hand to her chest. Falling back down on the plush bed, Aeka moaned with misery at the head injury looking over at the blond demon that was rough with her when she woke. _Suzuka…?_ She signed since it hurt too much to think at the moment.

"You hit your head very hard," Suzuka replied padding her face with a damp cloth since she was sweating from the nightmares she was having. "But nothing was damaged and you seem to have your memory so all is more or less good."

_How long have I been out?_ Aeka asked flinching from the pain once more.

"About a week I think. But that is not important right now," Suzuka began on a serious note. "What happened to you out there that day?"

_Day?_ Aeka questioned trying to remember what happened to begin with when it came to her being rendered unconscious. _Oh, my God—where is Jin! Where is Akina, is she okay!_

Touya eventually came into the room with Chuu ducking in behind him as well as Rinku and Shishi since they all had been taking turns to watch her for the time she had been out wondering what happened though they had a good idea of what went on. Seeing her signing too fast for him to catch, Suzuka grabbed onto them to make her stop.

"She is finally awake?" Shishi asked looking at the worried Aeka.

"Aeka," Touya began anxiously sitting down upon the bedside, "where are Jin and Akina? What happened? Did those demons come and get them?"

Aeka listened to Touya fearing the worse as she trembled from the inside out, _You mean…neither of them were found when you found me…?_

"No, Shelia," Chuu answered, "all we found was you passed out thanks to the knock out ya got on the noggin."

"We heard Akina crying and screaming but only found you…" Touya paused a minute, frowning with worry, "…those bastards got them, didn't they?"

Aeka didn't know what to say now that she knew it had to have been true. Looking out at the window from her room she couldn't help but tremble all over not able to think due to her family having been abducted. _No—no…this cannot be true! Jin…Akina…!_

Touya saw the panic rising in her face causing him to reach over and try to console her. Embracing her and cupping her face over towards his chest so she could at least cry somewhere. "It's okay, Aeka…we'll think of someway to get them back."

--

Jin was still out cold thanks to getting a double dose of the powerful tranquilizers that he was shot with and was created to take down a powerful demon. Moaning softly, he shook his fire red hair several times to try and wake himself up. Hands twitching a few times from the binds that kept him to the wall, Jin's eyes eventually opened and focused to the cell he was contained within. Trying to pull his hands from the wall, he found they were locked up good and wouldn't budge even with all his demonic strength. Growling a bit at being chained down, he couldn't help but try his hardest to break free regardless in hopes that the shackles on his wrists and ankles would snap in due time. "Come on…!"

"Don't waste your strength," A man's voice beckoned from beyond the reinforced glass. "Even an S class demon cannot break those and I bet you can imagine how much it cost me to set those up for you."

Jin's furious glare shot towards the man responsible for this as he took in his features. He stood about 5'10 and had slick dusty blond hair which was ear length with sky blue eyes. The man was of course wearing a suit to show off his status and he kept a cigarette in his right hand. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Kiyoshi Kawazawa," Kiyoshi answered before moving the cigarette he had lit to his mouth so he could admire his find. "You were quite difficult to get alone with that human girl you always hung around with. Never in all my years would I have thought a demon mix would be found in the depths of Makai."

Jin began to growl crossly at the man that was so far from him. Realizing that his daughter was probably taken as well, the wind master tried furiously once more to try and break free but to no avail. "Where is my daughter?" He demanded to know with a threatening tone.

"You mean the mix breed with cherry hair?" Kiyoshi asked almost moronically. "She is on her way. I didn't think it was necessary to keep you two together when one was drugged and the other wasn't so I was waiting for you to wake. After all, the child still thinks her father is dead." The man couldn't help but chuckle evilly here before blowing a puff of smoke at the glass before him from what he accumulated from his cigarette. "At first I thought it would be nice and orderly to keep father and daughter apart but who knows what separation from your infant would cause you to do. I have known demons that chew off their own arm just to get to their children and the last thing I want in my collection is a malformed beast—you understand."

Having to be thought of as a prize that this man was setting upon his shelf didn't sit too well with the freedom bound demon. "I will refuse to be one of your trophies and neither will my daughter!" Jin barked clutching his fists angrily once more in attempts to break free still.

"Right now, you have no choice," Kiyoshi snickered before putting out the cigarette he had, stomping it out. "And neither does your mutt of a daughter." With nothing left to say, the man walked off to go check on the other demons in his collection before looking in on Akina.

Jin never felt his blood boil so much before and his rage was starting to get the better of him. "You better pray I never get out of here," Jin muttered through his clinched teeth, "because I will make your life a living hell especially if you touch one hair on my daughter's head!"

Kiyoshi made his way further down the hall looking for the cell he had put Akina in until her father was to awaken and he had much consideration about the two being separated. Hearing a commotion going on within the cell, the business man hurried down to the area to find that the demons he assigned to take care of her were standing at bay for some reason as the little half demon continued to release her ear wrenching cries for her father and mother. "What are you fools doing?"

"We can't touch her," one lower class demon grumbled as if hating to admit defeat.

"What do you mean you cannot touch her? She is a half demon and her wings haven't even developed yet let alone her powers!" Pushing his way past the demons he found to be incompetent, the millionaire reached for the wrist of the child that held the bracelet Touya made her. Grabbing onto her wrist tightly so he could haul her up and get Akina to her father from where she sat on the floor, he suddenly jerked back his hand once the ice attacked the bracelet and grew onto his hand to give him a nasty freeze. "Jesus!" He swore angrily shaking his hand seeing that the ice let go once he released Akina.

Being that she was half demon, the cold did nothing to her body. All it did was surprise her since she never knew Touya's gift could do that. Bringing her hand up to her chest, she whimpered softly wondering what he would do to her now.

Eyeing the demon child curiously yet angrily, he couldn't help but wonder how she did that. "You're not an ice demon—how did you pull off that trick!" His voice hinted hidden anger and it frightened Akina and he could see it in her eyes. Rubbing his hand that got attacked quickly by the ice, the collector looked over at the demons wondering what they were waiting for. "I don't care what it takes you chain her neck and drag her to her father!"

The demons watched as Kiyoshi dashed out of the cell to go clean himself up before turning their attention back to little Akina. All three of them closing in on her, she felt threatened once more and ended up screaming for her father.

--

Aeka looked out at the stars that night from Touya's bedroom window since she couldn't afford to sleep by herself due to where she was and due to the fact that she had always slept in a bedroom with somebody—even Yuske, her baby brother, she shared a bedroom with so she never felt alone.

Touya reentered his bedroom to find Aeka staring out the window only able to wonder what was going through her mind. Placing the tray of food that he brought with him on the nightstand for the moment, he made his way over to Aeka to try and console her about her loss. Placing his hand upon her shoulder, he tried to pry her hands off of the windowsill and lie down for the time being even if it was hard for her. Seeing her resistance to want to and hearing her sadness swelling back up for her lost husband and daughter, Touya began to insist. "Come on, Aeka, you need to come eat dinner and go to bed."

Aeka shook her head several times sniffling back her tears that were swelling up and threatening to pour over.

The ice master wouldn't hear of it and ended up pulling her from the spot where she currently stood. "Jin and Akina will be alright," Touya tried to assure her while getting her to the bed so she could stay off of her feet with how she was feeling emotionally. "Jin is a Shinobi wind master and Akina has a charm on her wrist that should keep anybody with evil intentions from touching her. I gave her a bracelet not too long ago and put an enchantment on it with my ice magic so anybody that is evil that touches her will freeze over gradually if they keep their hands on her."

_I cannot help but worry about them both_, Aeka sniffled with the movement of her hands. _I just want my family back…_

Grabbing onto the tray he put down earlier, Touya offered her at least a salad to eat hoping that would sate her knowing the condition she was in. Seeing she wasn't going to take it or anything else on the tray for that matter, the demon couldn't help but sigh. "Aeka, if you don't eat, you will end up dying. And if Jin and Akina ever get out of there which I assure you, they will, they will come home to nothing."

_I can't eat knowing they are in Human World being held captive like a bunch of monsters_, Aeka responded downheartedly.

_And what's worse_, Touya thought to himself, _we cannot get to Human World so Jin and Akina are more or less trapped forever_. _Only Koenma or Yuske can truly save those two_. Looking to Aeka, he tried to get her to at least take something for her own sake. "Why don't you just have something to drink? I brought you some milk if anything. Maybe it will settle your nerves."

Looking at the glass Touya was trying to offer her, she eventually nodded taking the glass so her stomach would at least have something in it. Throwing her hair over her back and out of her face, she worked on downing the milk for the night though slowly since sudden wants to break down and cry would attack her and she couldn't afford to be inhaling anything at that moment.

Making sure she was at least going to take in her drink, Touya got up to put the food back into the refrigerator for the night thinking he would have to contact Spirit World some how for help in this matter. Resting there against the fridge, Touya sighed heavily at what was now occurring being that his best friend was now captured and also his little charge he had come to take in as his own daughter. "Oh, Koenma…help us all…

--

Akina was forced to bare a neck shackle and the demons put it on her quickly so they would not completely freeze over thanks to Touya's charm that he put on the bracelet. Being hauled off by the businessman himself, he made it to Jin's cell and opened it up without thought knowing as long as he held the daughter, the father would not attack. Seeing her father there in the cell, Akina couldn't help but call out to him, "Daddy!"

Hearing his daughter's cry caused Jin's eyes to open quickly from the rest he was having, "Akina!" Seeing the shackle around his daughter's neck, Jin couldn't help but snap his demonic fangs at Kiyoshi angrily showing a side not many would have thought the upbeat wind master had. "Take that shackle off of her neck or I will break yours!"

"I don't think you should be making threats at me," Kiyoshi threatened in return, pushing Akina forward briefly. "After all, I have your daughter in my hands."

Akina stumbled forward but caught herself as she quickly made her way over to her father once she was let go. Reaching up to her father's neck, she embraced it tightly before kissing him on the cheek relieved to know he was okay. "Daddy…you're okay!"

"Thank God you are the same," Jin whispered in her pointed ear trying to nuzzle into her since he couldn't use his hands that remained shackled to the wall. Shifting his attention to Kiyoshi who was still in the cell, he grinned mischievously before releasing his powerful wind energy hoping to knock out the businessman so Akina could get them free. "You may have stopped me from punching you, but my power is wind or didn't somebody tell you that?"

Kiyoshi had to bring his arm up to try and stop the wind from attacking his face but when the force got too powerful, he retreated to the door before shutting it. Not seeming mad at Jin's attempt, Kiyoshi smirked at the demon before fixing the hair that moved out of place thanks to the wind unleashed. "Oh, demons are such fascinating beasts—they act just like wild animals at times. Take away their child or bitch and they get defensive and try anything imaginable to get them back even self mutilation as I mentioned earlier. Give them back their child or mate and they will attempt to attack the person held responsible in fear of their loved ones being taken again. Give away their freedom and they will continue to eat like dumb animals in hopes of getting back out one day."

Jin was silent as he took in the man's insults to his race and who he was before speaking himself. "You insult yourself, Kiyoshi—for I have human in my blood also." Cocking his brow slightly with a civil type grin on his face, he continued, "Humans themselves act like animals just as you are right now. Get a bigger beast such as a demon and have it threaten the human's life and he will cower in safe territory. But be careful, Kiyoshi," Jin warned, "If a stronger beast is teased and tormented and left alive…he will seek out his weak tormentor." Silence rained between them but that allowed more time for Jin to speak. "I will get out of here and I will make you pay for this."

"We shall see who hunts who in the end, demon," Kiyoshi growled. "But unless you both want to starve, I would watch what I do with that wind powers of yours."

Jin said nothing once Kiyoshi walked off once more leaving him alone with his daughter. Akina looked up at her father once the scary man left. "Where is mommy, daddy?"

Jin's childlike blue eyes shifted down to his daughter with concern, "I am not sure, princess. I don't remember what happened at all after I passed out. Did your ma escape?"

The little mix breed hummed in thought trying to remember what happened since it was awhile ago. "She got hit really bad from one of the demons and was out on the ground bleeding from the head," Akina answered somberly. "They took me in some bag but I don't know about mommy…"

The wind master sighed relaxing his tense body at having to think of the worse possible scenario for his human wife, "I pray she got away and the others found her…if she was out cold in that forest, other demons could have preyed on her. Your ma will be okay, Akina, I promise. If anything, she has the others to watch over her and I am sure they found her in time." Seeing his daughter was still worried about all that was going on and scared, he nuzzled her gently in attempts to make her cheer up. "It's late, Rosy, why don't we go to sleep?"

Nodding at her father's suggestion, Akina got situated on her father's chest placing her elfin ear right near his heart so she could listen to his demonic heartbeat that was much different from a human's and her own. While a human's beat was regular depending on the person, a demon's had longer pauses in between each beat almost making them seem dead to a human's ear. Regardless of the tempo, it still soothed her to know he was there at least especially concerning the situation. "Goodnight, daddy, I love you."

"I love you too, Akina. I will watch over you and make sure nothing happens to you," Jin assured quietly before attempting to go back to sleep for the night.

-----------------------------------

Aeka sat at the window in Touya's room praying that her family was okay wherever in Human World they had been taken to. She knew out of everyone in the household only she would be able to find her way there since A class demons were not allowed to pass the barrier, but getting back to Makai would be a problem and possibly something Koenma wouldn't allow a second time around due to order between the three worlds something he had to maintain.

Opening the door to his own bedroom, Touya wasn't surprised to see Aeka still there near the window. "Aeka," Touya called placed his hands on her shoulders, "I have contacted Koenma and he will be here shortly to discuss the matter."

Lifting her head up off of her overlapped arms that were on the windowsill, Aeka turned her attention to the ice master while wiping her eyes free of tears. _You mean that guy who punished you and Jin for making it over to Human World when I was seventeen?_

"That's the one," Touya grunted joining her in the free seat near his desk. "Don't worry, Aeka, I am sure Jin and Akina are okay and will make it back with Koenma's help."

Aeka was silent for a moment trying to hope for the best, but having to go a day without either one of them made her worry more. _You know I didn't want Akina at first?_ Aeka signed almost randomly to Touya._ When I first found out that I was pregnant and with Jin's child, I was so scared_. _I was scared for being so young for one thing and how Jin would react_.

"Hmmm," Touya hummed scratching the back of his head, "Yes, you tried to hide it from everyone from what I remember. You even claimed you were sick to excuse the vomiting you did but that was what got you caught to begin with."

_Yeah…got sent to the doctor's and was announced pregnant to Jin_, Aeka signed almost to herself. _I didn't know what he was going to say and I myself didn't know what to say_. _I was scared to be a mother because of who my mother was…irresponsible even if I knew she loved Yuske and me_.

"But you are like your mother, Aeka," Touya replied pulling some of her pale lavender hair out of her face. "You may get yourself so drunk you don't know what two plus two is and party hard with Jin, but you always come back to your daughter to let her know she is loved. So in a way you are like Atsuko but then again, you are yourself as is everyone else." Rubbing her shoulder gently in attempts to make her settle, he continued, "Did you know that it was Jin's intention to get you pregnant anyways?"

_It was?_ Aeka asked since Jin never told her that one.

Touya nodded, smiling for a moment at her, "He told me he got you at the Dark Tournament when you were ovulating. So if you had not come with us, you would have had a half demon child in Human World and that would have released hell."

_When was I ovulating…? Well, being human of course I cannot sense it like demons can_. Aeka signed with a slight shrug.

"I don't know," Touya answered honestly, "I wasn't around you much. I guess whenever he got a little rough sexually since he was eager to get the egg."

_There was a time he got me real good before the fights with the final team_._ I guess that was it_._ I thought for sure he was going to tear me a new one he was so eager that day_, Aeka admitted.

"Then that was when Akina was conceived," Touya answered reaching over to grab a bit of chocolate he had stashed away on his desk in a bowel in case Akina wanted some.

_Candy—no wonder I have a hard time getting Akina to sleep at times_, Aeka signed trying to pick herself up from all that was going on.

Touya chuckled, shaking his head as he continued to finish off his piece before working on another since he was a bit hungry, "No, no. I never gave Akina chocolate before bed. I learned that one the hard way when it came to her sleeping here one night and she snuck a few pieces from the bowel. I have to put it out of reach at times so when I am sleeping she won't get some without my knowing. I guess a reason I am grateful those little wings don't work yet."

Hearing the front door open and close, the two looked at one another before Shishiwakamaru walked into Touya's bedroom to announce Koenma and Botan's arrival. "They are here, Touya."

Sighing through his nostrils, Touya finished off the last bit of chocolate he had in his hands before getting to his feet. "I will go talk to Koenma. You wait here," he pretty much ordered quietly before leaving his room.

Botan met Touya as Touya was leaving and Botan was entering the room Aeka and the Shinobi were in. The ice master said nothing to the messenger of Spirit World. He merely nodded once letting her know it was okay to enter and that Aeka needed somebody there at the moment before passing by her to go speak with Koenma.

Aeka looked to Botan remembering her once before. She was around Yuske more times than Keiko was and she was even there when Aeka was in the hospital for not eating well when Jin was forced back to Makai without her. _Hi, Botan_, Aeka signed since she just remembered the name Yuske told her.

Botan hurried over to Aeka in her pink kimono taking the seat that the ice demon had left earlier. "How are you doing, Aeka, are you okay? I heard about Jin and your daughter and I am so sorry."

Aeka nodded as she tried to keep her hair out of her face, _I miss them so much and I am worried…_

"Don't worry," Botan assured, grabbing onto her hand gently to hold to her chest. "I promise we will get Yuske on the case and he will get them back here."

_Yuske…? My brother…?_ Aeka asked, eyes widening.

"Of course, silly, Yuske has been working with us for quite some time even if he is fired as Spirit Detective for—reasons."

_I sure hope Yuske can do it_, Aeka signed before looking back out the open window.

"Aeka, Yuske is a powerful being and nothing can stop him, not even rich humans," Botan replied before helping Aeka to her feet. "Come on, why don't we get you cleaned up so you can be ready for when Jin and Akina come home?"

Aeka was never up for putting on makeup and trying to doll herself up for Jin or anyone else for that matter but she was now twenty-two if anything so maybe it was time to try and be a bit more ladylike if that was possible for her. Taking Botan's hand, she followed her into the bathroom in Touya's bedroom to attempt to make Aeka over.

At the dinner table, however, everyone else was gathered to speak about what was going on. "I guess people like Sakyo have yet to retire," Koenma remarked in his teen form looking at the coffee he had before him. "Saddening that demons still have to be dragged to Human World and treated like animals." Taking his spoon that he left in his coffee, he began to spin it slowly even a good while after he put the cream in. "I will get Yuske on it. I am sure, knowing that his brother-in-law and niece are in trouble will make him not gripe and get on it."

"At least Yuske will be able to get Jin and Akina free without any problems," Touya remarked with relief. "I was worried we would have to send Aeka up there since neither one of us could make it to Human World thanks to that barrier."

"Aeka cannot make it to Human World regardless," Koenma remarked seriously with his legs crossed under the table. "Being that she is not only the mother of a half demon, she was also pronounced dead in Human World and we cannot allow her to get back there without much explaining."

"But, you did it with Urameshi," Suzuka corrected.

"That's a whole other story." Picking up his coffee and taking a sip, the Spirit World Prince eyed the demons before standing back to his feet. "As promised, I will get Botan to go fetch Yuske Urameshi and have him scope out the area solo."


	7. Confrontations

Jin was wide awake before Akina since his demonic hearing could pick up the sound of demons causing a ruckus outside of his cell and he feared somebody coming in to take his daughter once more from him. Seeing his cell door starting to slowly open, he couldn't help but growl slightly and threaten to up his Wind Barrier if that was what it took to make the people leave him alone but stopped once he saw food in the lower class demon's hands. He knew if anything Akina had to eat more than he due to being a growing child so he did nothing but keep his eyes on him and watch him closely.

Seeing the threatening glare that the higher demon was placing on him the closer he came, the demon with the food could only grin as he believed there was nothing Jin could do to hurt him. "Don't give me that look, wind master," the demon hissed before placing the tray down before him. "What can you do to me besides glare at me? I could rip that daughter from your arms and torment her in front of you and you couldn't do a thing about it."

"You come any closer to her and I will snap that arm right off," Jin threatened with his eyes narrowing in distaste.

"How?" The demon laughed before grabbing onto the sleeping Akina causing the young child to scream from the rude awakening. Jin showed his fangs he had trying to snap at the demon but he was too slow in getting him prompting the low level demon to get cocky. "As expected, you can do nothing—." Before he could finish gloating or even begin to, the demon's hand began to slowly freeze over thanks to grabbing the wrist that held Touya's bracelet upon it and his charm. "Dammit!" He swore releasing the frightened child.

This was the first time Jin had seen the bracelet in action and couldn't help but raise a brow at it. Watching as his daughter ran to cower behind his back Jin couldn't help but snicker a bit at the outcome. "Maybe I cannot punish you, but apparently my four year old daughter can," he taunted.

The demon said nothing about that since he couldn't find a good attack on that but to attack the chained up demon. But if he did that, he would be punished by Kiyoshi since Jin and Akina were his 'prizes' so he left without a single word to them.

Feeling his daughter still shivering behind him, Jin looked over his shoulder best he could to try and catch his daughter's blue eyes she inherited from him. "It's okay, Rosy, he's gone and he left food for us." Seeing that she was still poking out just a bit from behind him, Jin whistled to her to try and settle his daughter. "It's okay, princess—come on out. You're going to have to get the food and eat it because da cannot move."

Moving from behind her father, she eventually made it to the tray that had enough food on there for two. Looking at the salad and the steak thrown on the plates, Akina looked to her father wondering what he was going to eat. "What are you going to eat, daddy?" She asked reaching for the salad bowel since she mostly saw him eating vegetarian type dishes. "You want the salad?"

"Yes, but you're going to have to feed it to me, baby, because I cannot use my hands," Jin replied showing her that his hands were shackled to the wall for good.

Akina placed her index finger on her lip in thought before bothering to reach for the fork and the salad bowel she previously had. Crawling into her father's lap, she helped the fork to his mouth that had a bit of the salad on it prompting Jin to lean further in so he could take it.

After his first chew, he couldn't help but eye the bracelet hanging from her wrist that Touya gave to her. "You really should thank Touya when we get back for that bracelet. I didn't think the boyo could do that."

"I promise I will," Akina whispered before helping her father eat once more trying to get him to finish off the salad.

Feeling his body had taken in enough to survive, Jin told Akina he was through and she could have the rest of it if she desired since he couldn't very well finish off a steak and salad. "That's enough, Akina. Thank you," he replied with the lick of his lips to try and get some of the dressing off of it.

"You don't want the rest of it?" She asked looking at the little bit that was left. "Mommy always said it was best to finish your plate."

Jin couldn't help but laugh softly, "Well, I am your da and I get to bend the rules a little bit. Just eat what you can, Akina. I want you to at least eat something. You don't have to eat it all, just what you can for right now."

Akina could only assure herself that her father would be fine with the bit of salad he had before digging into the food herself since she was hungry. Picking away at the salad, she eventually moved to the steak that was there. Even if she didn't know how to cut her own food yet, she knew how to dig in without utensils being the age she was.

Jin watched his daughter eat away at the food before her relieved she would at least be eating well if anything in captivity. Though looking at Akina, he couldn't help but think of Aeka and pray she was doing okay. _I will get out of here soon…I promise, Aeka_. _Even if I have to cause hell in order to do so_.

Kiyoshi was sitting alone in his office until there was the sound of someone at the door. Removing his glasses, he grumbled to himself before looking over to see who was there thanks to the surveillance cam he put up near his front door. Seeing the young teen with slicked black hair, Kiyoshi couldn't help but switch to his com. "What is it, boy?" He asked angrily.

The teen at the door removed his sunglasses to reveal his dark brown eye color. Trying to keep his cool about the matter before him, Yuske pressed his finger on the com so he could respond. "I came here because I heard you were looking for someone who could afford to help out around some weird creatures. Care to help out a kid during summer break who could use a few bucks?"

Kiyoshi wasn't planning for a kid to be the one to answer the flyer he put out awhile ago dealing with help around the demons he had acquired since he wanted to send off some of those low levels back to Makai. But knowing it couldn't hurt either way, he spoke back up after awhile of thought, "Come on in."

Yuske made it to Kiyoshi's main office with his tightly clutched hands in his coat pockets and sat down without even being told. Keeping his legs spread apart, he eyed the businessman trying not to show hate in his expression though it was hard knowing what he had stolen from his older sister. Looking over at the side a moment he noticed a few animal heads on the wall prompting Yuske to cock a brow at it all. "Nice collection you have here."

Kiyoshi looked to the wall that Yuske was staring at, only able to grin at his achievements. "You like those? I have come to prize myself as a collector of sorts but after collecting just about everything there is of wild life, I had to look to something more—different." Slipping a glass of water to Yuske as he passed by the chair the Spirit Detective was in, he continued, "This is where you come in. I have to admit I never had the nerve to destroy these beasts I managed to capture so I kept them locked away in my lower level."

Yuske sipped a bit from the water until he saw Kiyoshi waving for him to follow after him. Getting into the adjacent hallway, he followed the businessman to the staircase that lead to the basement, was his guess, taking in the area so he would know where to go due to his job he was sent to complete. Kiyoshi pulled out a key he kept in his pocket to unlock the door prompting Yuske to laugh a bit to himself before verbalizing it, "You only use a key to keep this collection from others? No alarm system or anything else?"

"These creatures cannot be simply plucked from their world so why should I worry about a loved one or someone stronger than them coming to save their hide? Besides, their restraints and cell doors are reinforced so not even they can get out. Are you ready for what is beyond that door?" Kiyoshi asked threatening to open it.

"As ready as I am going to be," Yuske answered honestly, continuing to try and keep himself from pummeling the guy as he bit his lower lip for a moment to relieve the tension he felt.

Kiyoshi flew open the door so Yuske could see the demons he had captured already, the area lined with cells on the left and right with glass and steel doors. From what Yuske could sense they were mostly A plus class demons or anything below that. There was no S class. "This is—a unique collection," Yuske replied trying not to give away the fact that he had seen demons before.

"Demonic beasts found from the depths of Makai. The glass and steel cells, and restraints you see were constructed to make it so neither beast could break out." Continuing down the stretch, Kiyoshi saw they were approaching the wind master's cell and he couldn't help but smirk mostly to himself. "I will show you my latest capture—was hell to get but we managed."

Yuske cocked his brow at the man he followed behind stopping at the cell that contained the wind master and his niece he never knew he had—not even Koenma told him when he asked him on the mission. Looking through the glass, he widened his eyes in surprise and a bit of anger to see Jin the Wind Master shackled to the wall and helpless to get free from the restraints that bound him. _Jin…!_

"Interesting demon, no?" Kiyoshi remarked taking Yuske's surprised look as something else. "He is a Wind Master and uses wind for attacks and to defend himself. I plan on getting his other friend that is an Ice Master when I am able. If you want, we can go and take a peek at him. He won't try anything unless he wants his prized possession hurt."

Continuing to gawk at the predicament a moment, the detective eventually recollected himself so he could look into Kiyoshi's expression. "Sure if it's safe," Yuske forced himself to say though it was hard being that he wanted to rush in and get Jin out before heading him back home to his sister.

Kiyoshi opened the cell door keeping Yuske back since as soon as Jin spotted the rich snob entering the cell, he got snappy and turned up his wind power creating a barrier around himself and his daughter that was hidden behind him. "He always does this whenever I enter. He's scared I am going to take his daughter from him."

"D—Daughter?" Yuske stuttered over trying to look through the wind at the two. His hair getting tossed about, he could only squint through the strong wind current to try and make out another being beside Jin but it was difficult.

"Yes, he had a mix bred daughter—some how some human woman made it down to Makai and she's the first mix I have heard of in awhile," Kiyoshi admitted.

Jin kept up his barrier until he made out the familiar face behind the wind and felt a pleasant breeze about the person as well. Azure eyes widening in surprise, he lowered his barrier to get a better look at the person that he could feel was kind hearted and not there to hurt him—seeming almost melancholy and a bit rattled judging by the wind about the male. _Yuske!_ Jin thought with relief knowing their ride out of there was now here.

"Well this is a first," Kiyoshi grinned coming closer to look for the girl regardless of Jin's growling. "Now fish out that daughter of your since I cannot touch her."

"For the final time, leave her be!" Jin growled trying to pretend he didn't know Yuske since he assumed the Spirit Detective had to have been undercover. "If you want, keep me but send my daughter back to Makai!"

Yuske watched the two confront one another verbally before shifting his attention to the small child that was hiding behind her father. Squatting down behind the collector, Yuske reached his hand out to her trying to wave her over to let her know he wasn't going to hurt her at all. _Come here_, Yuske mouthed wanting to get a better look at her since all he could see was her cherry hair and innocent cobalt eyes.

Akina had only heard stories about her Uncle Yuske but never seen him, so she was confused as to whom this person was. Peeking her head out just a bit more from beyond her father, she showed off her pointed ears before ducking back in behind her father's shadow that comforted her, too frightened after all that had occurred to come out any further.

"This is your new home, so get used to that," Kiyoshi assured Jin, threatening to snatch his daughter regardless of that charm.

"You know what," Yuske began halting Kiyoshi from touching his niece, "why don't I just start right away since I have nothing better to do? Is there anything specific you want me to do today?"

Kiyoshi pulled his hand back before standing upright to look at the eager teenager. "I would work on going around and picking up the trays that are left over in each cell before cleaning them out from top to bottom. If you need me, I will be in my office."

Yuske watched as the man took his leave of them. Waiting for the door to the basement to slam shut, the closing of the door eventually echoed through the basement allowing Yuske to turn back to Jin and Akina but Jin spoke up first.

"Yuske, you are here!"

"Don't worry, I will get you out of here as well as the others," Yuske promised trying to break the chains that bound his best friend only to no avail. "Dammit, these things are strong!"

"He told me that he made them so tough that not even an S class demon can break them," Jin said somberly. "If I could, I would have broken out of them awhile ago and killed that bastard for this. He took my daughter and chained her neck and some of the demons have threatened to hurt her if I didn't listen to them—they even hurt Aeka in their attempts to get to us. Akina said Aeka was knocked out cold before left in the Makai forest."

"Akina?" Yuske questioned, "Is that the name of your daughter?"

"Aye," Jin nodded looking over at his hiding daughter. "Akina, it's okay, you can come out now. It's just your Uncle Yuske—look."

"Hey, kiddo," Yuske called reaching his hand out to the scared child. "I'm not going to hurt ya. I am your mother's brother." Still trying to coax out Akina who kept peeking out from behind her father, he looked to Jin wondering about his big sister. "What about Aeka before all of this? Is she okay? she better be—I promised you that I would trek through Makai just to use your head as Spirit Gun practice and being that you're chained up, it's easier to nail your ass."

Jin couldn't help but laugh a bit at Yuske's remark before shaking his head, "No, no, she is just fine. She got pregnant as expected and had Akina who is now four years old. All was fine until this happened."

"It's odd, I've only been gone for four years and I became an uncle without even knowing it," Yuske chuckled before noticing Akina was slowly making her way out from behind her father and towards her uncle. Opening his arms for her to show the little mix he meant no harm, he waved for her to come into them so he could scoop her up and hold onto his niece he never knew he had. When she finally relaxed around the 'stranger', Yuske hefted her up into his arms so he could look at her even if he wasn't good with kids. "Hey there, Akina, I am your Uncle Yuske."

"She's heard of you," Jin promised moving his legs from the Indian style position since they were cramping. "She just hasn't seen you."

Yuske looked to Akina with a soft smile so as not to startle the already troubled young one, "I see she got your eyes—and—wings? Where did those come from?"

"Probably from the fact that she's destined to be a wind demon," Jin answered still trying to get free from his restraints. "But we can talk about all of that later. Can you at least find a way to get me out of these things?"

Putting Akina down for a minute, he nodded. "Right, right—I am sure there is a way to unlock these things since I don't see a way for any key to unlock them. I will be right back, just hang tight."

Jin couldn't help but muffle a laugh at how that would be no problem given the circumstances. Looking to his daughter who watched Yuske head off, he touched her back with his foot so he could get her attention. "That's your uncle that your mother and I have told you about. He takes care of apparitions both good and bad. I knew Koenma would send him for us."

Akina turned her attention back at the open cell door that Yuske ran out of, cocking her head to the side in interest. She had heard everything that Yuske had done but she never really got to see him in action so this was a first. Standing up to go after him, she was halted by her father's want to stay put. _So that is Uncle Yuske…_

Yuske hurried further down the hall to try and find a way he could unlock everybody at once. There was indeed a complex system in the back that the Spirit Detective looked over quickly only to get a headache from all the gadgets and blinking buttons. "Dammit, all—." Rearing back his right fist, he came down upon the control panel to dig into the circuit board and pull it out forcing everything else to short-circuit and the alarm to go off.

Jin heard the alarm go off but it didn't matter for his wrists were soon free. Bringing them down from where they original were, he rubbed his numb wrists before getting up and grabbing his startled daughter and headed out of the cell door. Meeting Yuske halfway, he hurried down the hallway with all the other demons that were trying to escape once their chains released them and their doors opened. "Obviously you're not the subtle type."

"It was a complex system!" Yuske called over the alarm racing out with the many demons he had set lose. "Buttons upon buttons, upon buttons—the hell was I supposed to do?"

Stopping a moment once they made it to the second floor, Jin remembered his promise to the man who did this to him. Seeing Yuske was stopping with him, he handed over the frightened Akina for Yuske to take, "Take Akina for me. I owe that bastard for what he has done!"

"Jin, we don't have time for this!" Yuske tried to assure the angry wind master but it was too late for Jin had already started looking for Kiyoshi.

"Where's daddy going?" Akina asked keeping a firm grip on Yuske's neck.

"I don't know, kiddo," Yuske growled before heading after him while the other demons made haste to the nearest exit. "But I can tell you this much, if your father ends up killing that man, he will be in **BIG** trouble with Koenma."

Kiyoshi smirked at these turn of events before going to his own control panel. "This should handle those beasts." Pressing a single button on the panel on his desk, he locked down his entire house to keep the demons from escaping with the same metal he created for their restraints. "Try all you want, but I won't let you leave."

"You should have made special doors for yourself," Jin hissed with an enraged expression and his fists clutched tightly at his sides.

"So that human was undercover for you?" Kiyoshi asked almost seeming unimpressed. Crossing his legs from where he sat within his chair, he intertwined his fingers and placed them upon his knee to eye the riled demon, "Surprise, surprise."

"Actually," Jin corrected, "That is Yuske Urameshi, Akina's uncle and Spirit Detective. Maybe Yuske won't take care of you, but I will for what you did to my only daughter!"

"With what? Wind?" Kiyoshi couldn't help but chuckle at the thought before pushing back from his desk so he could get to his feet. "Face it, wind master, you can only hide behind your barrier let alone attack me with your wind powers."

Jin looked over at the wall to spy a display of Japanese swords causing a smirk to spread across his face. Grabbing one of them and forcing the sheath off, he came a bit closer to the still gullible businessman with it at ready. "I can use wind but using it wouldn't be fair to beat someone such as you…but being part of the Shinobi, I can also use a sword. Dare to try me?"

Kiyoshi didn't buckle down to Jin's threats and walked over to grab a sword of his own so they would at least be equal. "If you want to try and kill me to make yourself feel better, come on then."

Jin hurried towards Kiyoshi with the sword he held to the down right position before kicking in his demonic speed to disappear before Kiyoshi. Appearing behind him, he threatened to run through the millionaire only to be halted.

"Jin, stop it!" Yuske ordered as soon as he came barging through the door with his niece still in his arms. "If you kill this man, Koenma will punish you and you won't be able to see Aeka in the demon world for God knows how long!"

Jin only stopped from puncturing Kiyoshi from the back but that didn't prohibit him from threatening to kill the man by pressing the flat of the blade against Kiyoshi's neck. "So you want me to leave this man alive for all he has done to me? He sent his demons to stalk me at my own house and he threatened my daughter and hurt my wife—as a Shinobi I cannot allow him to get off the hook that easily."

"Maybe it's part of the Shinobi code you've grown to live by for the years you've been trained," Yuske replied calmly, "but as part of the Spirit World Rules, you cannot kill this man for what he has done or else you will be punished under their law like Hiei and Kurama way before you!"

Kiyoshi remained calm and quiet knowing that the kind hearted demon wouldn't have it in him to harm him. He had been watching Jin through his demon lackeys and he knew that someone such as him was mostly all talk and wouldn't dare harm a fly being that a family made him soft. "Kill me, and you won't see that human woman of yours or your daughter for that matter. But if you leave me alive, I will have a chance to come and get your daughter again," Kiyoshi further threatened.

Leaning towards Kiyoshi's ear, Jin whispered in it so only they could hear, "Come back to hurt my family and I promise—nobody will be there to stop me when I torture you and make you plead for your death." Looking to Yuske and his daughter, he nodded at the desk area keeping the sword where it was. "There's a panel on his desk that can let everybody out. Touch the blue button."

Yuske headed over to the control panel that Jin spoke of and bashed the blue button with his fist to allow the house to be unlocked and the demons to be free to get back to Makai. "Alright, Jin, now you and Akina have to go back to Makai—let the bastard go."

Jin pushed Kiyoshi forward once he removed the blade from his throat, tossing the weapon onto the floor at the millionaire's feet. Keeping his angered expression locked on the heartless human, he eventually shifted his attention over to Yuske and Akina forcing the leadership and seriousness that Jin wasn't known for, to vanish. Punching Yuske gently in the arm, he relaxed and smiled once more. "Come on, let's get her home."

Kiyoshi said and did nothing—he didn't even flinch. Sitting back down at his desk, he couldn't help but chuckle at these turn of events as if he had expected it all along. "Run back home, wind master…it's not the last you've seen of me," he said mostly to himself once the three left.

Walking out into the busy streets with Jin and Akina, the two didn't worry about any of the human's saying anything since most humans couldn't see demons. "So are you walking me home?" Jin asked. "That's very touching of you Yuske."

"Don't flatter yourself for I never was fawned of redheads," Yuske joked lightly holding onto Akina still for the time being. "I can only go so far anyways. I would love to see Aeka again but I can't. It was just my job to make sure the demons were all safe and they are."

"I know Aeka still feels upset about not saying goodbye to you when the Dark Tournament ended," Jin admitted. "Slightest mention of you and she gets a little upset."

"Well maybe some day I will be able to see her again," Yuske said with his sincere smile. "I do miss her and so does mother though she is already back to her old self again. Maybe another tournament will come about—who knows?"

"We'll see," Jin nodded before opening his arms to take his daughter. "Well, beyond those woods is where the entrance to Demon World is. I guess I better get home and pray Aeka is okay."

"She is, Jin. Koenma and Botan saw her before they came to speak to me." Handing over the exhausted Akina to her father, Yuske waved slightly to the demons. "Well, I hope all goes well in Makai. Take care of Aeka for me." Looking to his sleeping niece, he ran his fingers through her wild hair. "Goodbye, Akina. I hope I will see you again sometime."

"I am sure you will," Jin smiled rocking his daughter to keep her asleep from the long day. "See you, Yuske. Thanks for saving us from what could have been a long haul."

"Hey, it's my job and besides, I wouldn't want someone fucking with my family." Placing his hands in his pockets, he watched as Jin took off into the forest that would guide him back to Makai and to Aeka once again before bothering to head back home himself.

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Aeka fell asleep at the windowsill early that evening when waiting for Jin and Akina to come home as promised by Botan and Koenma. She heard some of the guys hurrying down the hall but didn't think much of it since it was nearing dinner time and she assumed Touya made dinner though they were making their way to the entrance of the house to welcome home Jin and Akina.

Touya was the first to make it outside when he heard Jin and Akina were within view thanks to Chuu being the lookout. Seeing that Jin and Akina were just fine, he was more than relieved as he watched Jin finally touch the ground and let his daughter free. Seeing the little half demon running towards him once she was put down, the ice master knelt down so he could catch her when she made it to him. Picking her up into his arms, he looked at Akina and smiled. "Thank God you're both back safe."

Hugging Touya's neck gently, she smiled, "Thank you for the bracelet, Touya."

"You're welcome, princess." Holding her in his arms a moment, he rubbed her back a bit before looking back into the eyes her father gave her. "Come on, your mother really misses you. Let's go see her."

Aeka stayed put at the windowsill sorrowfully and half asleep thanks to barely eating and becoming a bit lethargic. Her once knee length pale lavender hair was now on her mid-back thanks to Botan cutting it for her and taking the pieces of hair that were a different layer up front near her face and braiding them so they could come together in the back. Hearing a knock on the door, Aeka moaned softly as she tried to rouse from her sleep though it was difficult with hunger overtaking her.

Touya entered into his bedroom to see Aeka was still there at the windowsill, knowing this would help her back on her feet. "Aeka," Touya called walking towards her, "I have something that may perk you up."

Hearing the ice master stop right behind her, she lifted her head off of the windowsill once more to look over at him wondering what it was this time until she saw her daughter in his arms. Reachingfor her only child, she held onto her tightly not wanting to let her go ever again. _Akina,_ _oh thank God you are okay!_ She thought burying her face into her daughter's neck so she could cry there.

"Mommy, Uncle Yuske came to save daddy and me," Akina announced trying to make her mom feel better.

Pulling back from her daughter's neck, she looked into her eyes with her weary, tear stained sea green. _Your uncle saved you?_ Aeka signed before bothering to wipe her face clean of the tears that mated with her skin.

Jin appeared eventually behind his Shinobi partner before kneeling down to kiss his wife on the cheek and to hold onto them both. "Yes, Yuske came to rescue us. He says he misses you and maybe someday you'll get to see one another again without it breaking the Human World and Makai rules."

Looking to her husband, she leaned over to kiss him lovingly, glad to know he was back home. _Maybe one day I will get to see my brother again…I am just glad he got my family back home safely_.

Keeping her daughter in her arm while holding onto her husband's neck with the other, she just stayed put with them relieved to know they were okay. Touya remained in the bedroom but said not a word as did the others who were watching now from the doorway or around the area. No matter what world they were in, Human or Makai, one or the other wouldn't be safe, but as long as they watched out for the other, that was all they needed even in Hell.

**END**


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